Laurens Dressing Room

My Makeup Collection/Storage

2012-01-22T17:13:00.000Z

I always find it enjoyable perusing through other bloggers ways of storing their makeup/makeup collection posts. I find them inspiring and they can give you some great ideas of how to set your own up. Plus, I think we all do love a good nosey if we're being truthful. It must be a woman thing?

Quite a while ago, I uploaded a post about My Dressing Table set up and how I stored my beauty essentials. However, I haven't written an actual makeup collection post before. Due to me soon moving out, and into my first home with my boyfriend, I thought that I would put this little post together. As in the next month, my makeup storage will look completely different as I will be in a completely different location. I'm really excited!

As before, I'm still storing my makeup in the little chest of drawers below. You can pick yourself one of these up from WHSmiths - they have all different designs, so you can choose one to suit yourself.

The drawers consist of three small drawers, two medium and one large drawer at the bottom.

Here is how I store my makeup brushes;

I wanted them to be at hand, in an easy to reach place. I picked up these little vase/fishbowl type glass bowls from Hobbycraft as well as the small clear beads inside to aid the brushes to be kept in standing position.

Most of my makeup brushes consist of Sigma brushes, with the odd MAC and couple of Elf brushes. I also have just a few random ones which I've accumulated over the years from various makeup kits.

Next up, I have a little black box where I keep my rings, and an old Glossybox where I store my false eyelashes. The empty Glossyboxes come in really handy for storage.

Now that you have seen my actual storage methods, I've broken down the photos into what I keep in each drawer of my Cupcake chest. I do like to be as organised as I can, keeping similar items together in one drawer.

The 1st drawer; Various Highstreet Lipsticks

Lipsticks by Topshop, MUA, Barry M, Revlon, Elf, and Sleek.

The 2nd Drawer; High End Lipstick brands

MAC lipsticks in the shades - Myth, Creme D'nude, Viva Glam Gaga 2, Hue, Creme Cup x2, Shy Girl, Vegas Volt, Costa Chic, Impassioned, Cruella Deville Venomous Villains, Up the Amp, Ravishing, Snob.
YSL Lipstick in Peach Fambourg.

The 3rd Drawer; Other lip products both a mixture of high and low end brands.

Lipliners by MAC & Topshop, Lipglosses by MAC, Dior, Eyeko, Barry M, MeMeMe, Bourjois.

The 4th Drawer; Blushers and Bronzers

MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus, MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle, MC Bronzer in Refined Golden, MAc Blushers in Style, Well Dressed, Blushbaby & Dessert Rose, Elf blushers in Candid Coral, Tickled Pink, Pink Passion, Elf Bronzer, Bourjois Chocolate bronzer & Bronzers by Gosh, H&M, Eyeko Tinted Cream.

The 5th Drawer; Foundations, Concealer, Tinted Moisturisers.

MAC Studio Fix Fluids in NW20, NW22 x2, NW25 and NW30, Revlon Photoready foundation in 004, 005 x2 and 007, Benefit High Beam highlighter, Chanel Mat Lumiere in 50, Lancome concealer, various Dior, Clains & Bobbi Brown samples, No7 & Liz Earle tinted moisturiser, Vivo highlighting cream.

The 6th Drawer; All things eye related - Shadows, liners, mascara.

Various liquid liners, eye pencils in various brands, mascara, x2 Sleek eyeshadow palettes in Storm & Original. Urban Decay naked palette, MAC pigment pot, Urban Decay palette (not sure on the name, but it has a gun on the packaging, HD Brows palette, various Barry M dazzle dusts, MUA pots, Elf duos and H&M shadows. Empty MAC quad (for when I travel).

My larger palettes;

MAC eyeshadow palette (incomplete) with shades Carbon, Nylon, Woodwinked, Satin Taupe, Wedge.
Elf 32 pc eyeshadow palette and eBay Blush Palette.

My false eyelashes;

Various eBay lashes, Vivo, MAC and random glues.

So, there you have it - my makeup collection/storage in all it's glory. I do feel that it has grown rapidly since joining the beauty community. However, i do not feel the need to hoard crazy amounts as some do. Collecting vast amounts of makeup is quite a few peoples hobbies, just not for me. All the makeup I do have, I use and none goes to waste. If i do come across something I don't use, I will usually pass on to my Mum, sister or friends rather than hoard it.

I'd love to see your posts, so if you have them, feel free to link me in the comments.

How do you store your makeup? What do you think to makeup collections? Are you an impulse buyer? Do you buy something just because it's raved about? Or do you prefer to only repurchase when you've ran out? I'd love to hear your thoughts..

Primark Haul: January 2012

2012-01-19T21:47:00.000Z

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I've recently had a little Primark splurge over the last weekend. i picked up quite a few lovely pieces and for the mere grand total of £40. I always enjoy looking at other peoples Primark hauls, just to give myself a little idea of what they currently have in store and if anything tickles my fancy.

So, here is what I picked up;

Faux Fur trimmed gloves - £2 (reduced from £4)

Skull print scarf - £4

Leopard Print scarf - £4

Striped jumper - £8

Skinny Jeans - Both £11 each

I've been after a pair of stonewash bleached jeans for so so long now. I was really happy to stumble across these bargains in Primark, so I picked them up in a flash. I think they'll suit really well with the new jumper I purchased.

If you have posted a Primark haul lately, I'd love you to leave me a link in the comments below. I'm such a nosey parker.

Lego House

2012-01-18T19:30:00.001Z

Shirt: Vero Moda | Faux fur gilet: Primark | Bag: eBay | Boots: Primark | Leggings: Topshop

I have 100% fallen head over heels (no pun intended) in love with my new boots. I bought them recently on a little trip to Primark, and they haven't left my feet since. I feel that I shall most definitely get my use out of them. I've also been teaming this faux fur gilet with pretty much any outfit, as it is one of those easy staple items which you can sling over any old outfit.

I'm struggling slightly to find a new area to take my outfit photos. At the moment, I have a large blank wall to shoot in front of, but when I move in my with boyfriend, I know that it will be rather difficult to find somewhere to stand so that I still have a white background.

In house news, I have been buying lots of lovely little things for my dressing room including; wallpaper and a gorgeous picture of Marilyn Monroe sitting in front of a mirror applying her lipstick. I adore it. Literally cannot wait to move in! It's roughly looking at the middle of February - so not long now! Waaaah, I'm going to be a grown up.

I've also recently done a Primark haul, if that would be something you'd be interested in seeing, then let me know in the comments below.

How have your weeks been so far? Are you all sticking to your New Years Resolutions?

Battle of the Foundations

2012-01-16T19:30:00.002Z

Calling all beauty bloggers! I am beckoning you over for your much needed help and advice.

I have recently discovered to my absolute horror, that my all time favourite foundation; Chanel Mat Lumiere has been discontinued. *Cue drastic music*

That's right, my old ye faithful is no longer available to buy, and to make matters worse, I'm literally on my last drops. *Cue temper tantrum*

After finally getting over the initial woe of the idea that Chanel Mat Lumiere will never touch my face again, I came to realisation that a new foundation was in order. Now, I know what you're all thinking - MAC. Yes, MAC is amazing, and I do love Studio Fix fluid. But, there is just something which just doesn't compare to my previous Chanel. I don't really think fix fluid photographs well on my skin and it a little too matte for my liking. I love the full coverage, but I also enjoy a slight dewy glow to my skin without looking like a shiny grease monkey.

A mission was in order: Mission Foundation Search/Chanel replacement.

I set off to my local department store and made a bee line for the brands I'd never tried out before; Bobbi Brown, Dior and Clarins.

The beauty assistants were very helpful in helping me find a new foundation which could be a good Mat Lumiere replacement. I feel a pay rise in order for them. As they were all extremely helpful and I didn't feel I was being pushed into buying something I didn't want. They also all really took the time and effort to help me decide and test the products.

I came away with the samples above:- Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturising Foundation (shade natural 4), Clarins Everlasting Foundation (Shade Chestnut) and Dior Skin Forever (shade 032).

Here is what each foundation looks like when applied to my skin..

My overall impressions.

Clarins = Smells lovely. Great colour match. Bit too light coverage for my liking. Photographs OK, but I look a little pasty.

Dior = Easy to blend. Full coverage. Can look cakey. Photographs well without making me look like a ghost. Smells OK.

Bobbi Brown = Full coverage. Difficult to blend. Looks far too yellow on my skin. Cool tones. Has great staying power.

Now here is where you guys come in. Which foundation do you think suits me best? Are there any you prefer or have tried? cast your votes now!

My Unwanted Beauty Box

2012-01-13T19:30:00.002Z

Before I get into this blog post, I would first and foremost like to thank my lovely friend Maxine for planting this little seed of an idea in my head, after watching one of her vlogs.

Since the New Year, I haven't really set myself any New Years Resolutions as per say. However, after watching Maxine's vlog about using up makeup, I thought to myself "I have to do this!" As a beauty blogger, it's rather easy to get sucked into the whole 'Monkey see, Monkey want' syndrome when it comes to makeup and beauty products. This has resulted in me ending with with drawers and boxes full of makeup/products/lotions/potions/you name it which I don't really need. Even after buying all of these items, I still stick to repurchasing my favourite products, thus, then leaving loads of barely used products.

The whole idea of this Beauty Resolution is so that I can use up lots of my barely touched makeup.

Here's what I've done: (and you can do it too!)

- Sort through your makeup and beauty products. Get together all the items which you never use, or which need using up!

- Store them all together in some kind of box.

- Vow to use those products daily until used up, and save your favourite products until then!

Here's whats in my unwanted beauty box;

What's in there? & the reasons they're there?

Bodyshop Pomegranate Bodybutter
I hate the smell of this. I actually bought this online not knowing what it smelled of and as soon as it arrived, yack! I hated it. I'm almost through it though. I use it mainly on my legs so that the smell is out of my noses proximity.

Loreal Shampoos
These are from my hair dye kits, which always end up building up and I never use. Hey, it's shampoo! Might as well whack it on the head!

Neutrogena Blackhead Scrub
I usually use my Liz Earle cleanse and polish, so everything else for my face gets pretty much neglected. I have officially put my Liz Earle to the back of my drawer and doing this little swapsie to use up this product.

Simple Toner
Same as above really, I prefer the Liz Earle toner. This just needs using up.

Soft & Gentle deodorant
A huge big cloud of white smoke? No thanks, say no more.

Spa magik salt brushing
I usually use Soap & Glory's Breakfast scrub once a week, but after receiving this salt scrub in a Glossybox, I haven't gotten round to trying it out.

Avon Soloutions day/night cream
I have far too many face creams, and these are the ones I never tend to use.

Eyeko and Bodyshop lipgloss
I hate lip gloss in a squeezy tube formula, it goes on so messy and your seem to have no control over it. I'll just be using them for work every day, but sticking to my old ye faithful lipsticks at the weekend.

Elf blush
This shade is Tickled Pink. i never really get round to using it, but after using this colour for the past two days I actually really like it for day wear. This may end up being repurchased.

Tiny samples from MAC and Pixi
I have too many teeny samples floating around making my drawers look messy so they need using up.

MAC NC35 Studio Fix Fluid
I am not a cool shade at all, this foundation is far too yellow one me. Lord knows why the lady at MAC matched me up to this colour. It was my first ever MAC foundation and I still have it now. It's almost gone and I'm so glad as then I can save the empty for the 'Back to MAC' scheme.

MAC Creme Cup lipstick
I really need to finish this lipstick off so I can save the empty for 'back to MAC'. I love this lipstick and always repurchase it every time I run out.

So, there we have it, lots of little items which will finally get to fulfil their makeup destiny and actually make the journey onto my face! Ha ha. I do think this is a really good idea to save yourself some money and also so not to waste previously bought products which you might have just bought on a whim.

Let me know if you're joining in the Unwanted Beauty Box Resolution...

Cross my Heart

2012-01-11T19:30:00.001Z

Cross Tee: DIY Tutorial here | Shrug: Primark | Ring: YSL Arty Replica eBay | Jeans: Primark

I haven't worn this tshirt in a while. I actually went through a phase of wanting to DIY my clothes, and this was one of the creations I came up with. I wore this outfit on Saturday and just had all the girls round at mine for tea and cheesecake all afternoon. You should have seen the pile of teabags we got through! It was a lovely afternoon of myself and six other girls, with cups of tea in hand and lots to chatter about. I love a good old chinwag with the girls.

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see that I've been doing a lot of chatter about moving in with my boyfriend. I'm literally so excited to move into our first home together!

I will be sharing all things that a buy, and the decor on my blog. The best thing is, I shall be having my very own dressing room - just like the name of my blog, Lauren's Dressing Room. We've already been buying lots of bits for it including a lovely picture for the wall, wallpaper, a dressing table, fitted wardrobes. For those of you who have already requested a house tour/dressing room tour, I shall most definitely be sharing that at some point when we're all moved in and settled.

I can't wait to make it into my dream home with my lovely boyfriend. *Cue awwwwwws*

How have your weekends been?

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Soft & Gentle

2012-01-09T19:30:00.001Z

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish - Soft & Gentle (£20.50)

This is my latest purchase from MAC, the MSF in Soft & Gentle. I've been after a highlighter for a while now, and after using MSF Natural quite a lot (and seeing that it lasts ages!) I decided to invest in this little treasure. Sparkly huh?

I apply it along my cheek bones, down my nose and on my collar bones to add a nice little extra shimmer on nights out. I'm not really a fan of a matte-finish face, but I do also like to look oil free. When using a matte foundation, this product can be the perfect little bit of icing on the cake to make your skin have a healthy looking glow.

I'll now leave you with some pretty photos...

I also love the look of the Mineralized Blushers, but have yet to purchase one. What are your favourite highlighters?

Jewels at your fingertips

2012-01-05T19:30:00.001Z

Ever since receiving a Deborah Lippmann nail varnish in my latest December Glossybox, I felt really intrigued to see what other colours the DL range had to offer. I toddled into my local House Of Fraser and literally fell in love with the beautiful colour 'Across The Universe'. If you are unfamiliar with this colour, you should Google it, it's stunning. After looking at the extortionate price of £18 for just one bottle, my friend who was with me at the time pointed out that I could probably find a good dupe for merely half that price. I agreed, put the polish down and headed to Boots.

After much searching I picked up the latest Barry M nail varnish, Silver Glitter from the limited edition collection and teamed it with some other polishes I already owned.

I firstly coated my nails in Black, followed by the Silver Glitter and lastly Hologram. Here's the effect;

Ta-daaaa! Sparkly twinkly nails. I can't stop looking at them!

What is your favourite glitter nail combo?

My Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T19:01:00.001Z

I know it's very belated, but as the saying goes; "Better late than never!"
Here is a little peek into what my Christmas looked like. The decorations including the stockings and Christmas tree are mine and my Boyfriends in our own little house! That's right, I'm growing up! My boyfriend is currently living there at the moment and I'm due to move in too in the next couple of months. I'm super excited! The table set up photos are my lovely Mummy's creation - can't beat a scrumptious dinner made with love from your Mum.

(If you've noticed that the photos are better quality, I'm now using my new camera - Nikon Coolpix L120)

If you would like to see what presents I received, you can do so here.

My New Years Eve Look

2012-01-02T17:36:00.000Z

The original plan was to set up my camera tripod and take what could be classed as some decent outfit photos. Alas, here I behold plan B. I was in a mega, mega rush after getting ready and only just managed to snap a quick few arms length shots for you.

DiorSKIN Forever - shade 032

MAC bronzer - Refined Golden

MAC MSF - Soft & Gentle

Elf blush - Candid Coral

eBay false lashes

MAC eye kohl - Smoulder

Urban Decay naked palette shadows

Me Me Me lipgloss - Ultimate Red

Dress - Motel at Topshop £32

What did you all get up to for New Years Eve? Myself and the girls hit town for the day session and then went back to our local to meet all of the lads around 9pm for the rest of the night. We had so much fun! Happy New Year everyone! All the best for 2012!

Santa brought me....

2012-01-01T23:12:00.000Z

First of all, I'd just like to say a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my lovely readers. I hope that you have all had an utterly amazing Christmas and New Year. I can't believe the holidays are over and after tomorrow, it will be back to reality again. Bah humbug.

I've been such a busy little bee over the holiday period, today is actually the first and only time I've actually been able to sit myself down and get a blog post up for you girlies. I'm hoping to do a "My Christmas" post with pretty much everything I have been up to. I enjoy sharing these things with you and I'd also love to hear what you've all been up to.

But for now, I'll leave you with a sneak peek to what Father Christmas left me under my Christmas tree;

* £400 cash to put towards moving in with my boyfriend

* Nikon Coolpix Camera L120

* Huge Soap & Glory set

* Little bits of Soap & Glory also

* Starbucks mug

* Large Lady Million perfume

* Lady Million perfume set (that's right, I got two!)

* Dressing gown

* Biscuits

* Tin of Cadburys heroes

* Wine

* Bag from Aldo Shoes

* Starbucks coffee canister

* Sanctuary bath set

* Front Cover nail kit

* Nail wraps

* MAC makeup voucher

* Birdcage necklace

* Bath products

* Umbrella

* Purse

* Diary

I was extremely lucky to receive so many lovely items. All the presents are from my boyfriend and friends, where as the money is a collection from mine & my boyfriends parents. We asked for money this year as we are moving into our own house together in the new year! I'm super excited and can't wait to show you all what it looks like inside. A tour is deffo on the cards.

Something else I'm really excited about is that my lovely boyfriend surprised me with a new camera, so I'll hopefully be getting some really clear photos up on my future blog posts.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What did Santa bring you this year?

Christmas Dresses

2011-12-17T11:48:00.000Z

'Tis the season to be jolly! Fa la la la laa, la laa, laa laa!

It's also the festive party season, so you know what that means? Donning your favourite heels and dancing the night away with a scrumptious mulled wine in hand. This in mind, the party season can be rather expensive, what with all the events to attend and new frocks to purchase for said events.

I've decided to construct a blog post featuring some bargain dresses, which will create the perfect look for your festive fun. All of the dresses featured are under £50. That's right, simply stunning without breaking the bank.

The three main events in which us girlies feel we must purchase something new & pretty for are the following; The Work Christmas Party, Christmas Day with the Family, and New Years Eve.

The Christmas Work Party

Mesh Sleeve dress - £30 | Leopard Print skater dress - £20 | Orche Cutout Dippy dress - £37

The Christmas Work Party dress should be something pretty and festive, yet not showing too much skin. You don't want your boss/colleagues to think you're unprofessional, but you also want to look glam, right? Something high necked which doesn't show too much skin is perfect for the event.

Christmas Day with the Family

Red Spot dress - £30 | Beige Velvet Shift dress - £30 | Pleated Panel dress - £27.99

The day filled with family fun, opening gifts and stuffing your face with turkey most definitely needs a dress that you feel cosy in. Something that covers your little Christmas filled tummy and isn't too restricting when you want to curl up and have a nap on the settee after your Xmas lunch. These dresses do all of those things, yet still look pretty at the same time! Win/Win situation.

New Years Eve Dress

Corsage Dress - £35 | Print Sleeve dress - £42 | Gold Sequin dress - £35

The New Years dress should be everything a dress should be; full of sparkle and amazement. Anything eye catching and attention grabbing, that you can dance your way into the New Year in.

I hope that my little post has been of help to you. Tell me, what are you wearing for the party season?

Faux Fur Frenzy

2011-12-12T18:15:00.000Z

Faux Fur Gilet, Jumper, Boots, Burgundy leggings: All Primark 

Hasn't it turned cold recently? My iPhone Weather app has been my best friend lately. Constantly checking what tomorrows weather shall bring. I'm really hoping the snow will hold off - I'm not a snow lover in the slightest. I remember Snowy days being all about fun-filled snowball fights, days off school and wearing your favourite wellies. Fast forward 15years, and all I think about when I seen a snowflake is; Urgh, I've got to drive in this/I might skid on the ice/I might crash/I might fall and break my neck/I might die (worst case scenario - obvs!)

But yes, as I've become older I now see the havvoc the snow brings, rather than the joy.

The winter weather in mind, I've recently invested in some much-needed winter woollies. I'm very pleased to unveil my 'bargain' outfit (all from Primark). I think the outfit totted up to a grand total of £48! Yes, £48! Who says you have to splash out to keep snug? Especially with Christmas just around the corner - watching the purse strings is essential.

Are you looking forward to Christmas? I can't wait! What are your winter staple items in your wardrobe?

Haul: Primark November 2011

2011-11-30T20:56:00.002Z

This week I took a well needed/well deserved trip to Primark. The Primark in Meadowhall Sheffield is huge, so spending an hour in there is quite easily done. Especially by the time you've tried on everything in the changing rooms. I'm quite guilty of ditching the changing rooms when in Primark, and opting for a mirror on the shop floor instead! Or purely risking the chance that it will fit. 90% of the time, I've chosen some lovely stuff that has fitted great, and only a small amount of the time do I end up having to return things.

The main reason being that the check out queues are huge! Never mind queueing for the fitting rooms too! I'd rather 'Risk it for a Biscuit' (as I like to say!).

Here's what I picked up on this particular Primark spree;

The majority of the haul consisting on warm, snuggly clothing and some funky socks for good measure! Primark have the right idea of strategically positioning the socks/tights isle where the checkout tills are. So, you always end up popping something into your basket along the way.

Suede-look fur boots - £15

These little boots were the first thing that grabbed my eye whilst meandering around the footwear section. They are by far my favourite item from the entire haul - plus they're amazingly comfortable. I love how you can wear the boots with the fur on show, or alternatively, you can pull them up to keep the fur on the inside.

Cable Knit Cardigan - £12

This jumper is actually described on the tag as the colour 'Rust'. Although, I feel it is more of a Terracotta colour. I love the chunky cable knit and huge buttons. I really can't wait to wear this!

Faux Fur Gilet - £20

This gilet is actually the main reason I ventured to Primark. I originally went in looking for a light cream coloured one, but instantly fell in love with this one on first glance. I'm not sure if I'll wear the belt with it. I'll probably just take that off and wear it separately.

Blue jumper - £16

I usually like my winter woollies to be snuggly, so I tend to opt for larger sizes to ensure I really achieve the oversized wintery look. But, I did feel that this jumper would probably look better fitted, so I bought it in my actual size. The jumper itself is blue, and has some gorgeous little flecks of glitter sewn into it - which ensures a more Christmas Festive feel to the outfit.

Mustard top - £6

I've been after just a plain basic mustard colour long sleeved top for a while. Not a jumper, just a nice cotton top. I saw this and nabbed it while it was there. I think it will go nicely with my new faux fur gilet.

Burgundy leggings - £3.50

I'm getting pretty bored of the usual black leggings, so I opted for these burgundy coloured leggings.

Snowflake pyjama bottoms - £5 (ish)

I literally cannot wait to spend all of December curled up in my new Snowflake Christmas fleecy pyjama bottoms! I love cosy nights in and as soon as I saw these, i knew they'd be perfect for the winter nights leading up to Christmas. And of course I've got to sport them on Christmas morning too.

Snood - £5

More Winter items. I already have a couple of snoods and decided to buy this lovely cream coloured one too.

Socks - £3

Because everybody always needs socks, and peachy coloured ones? Bonus!

Rusty Round the Edges

2011-11-28T19:50:00.000Z

I haven't worn this blouse for a while and noticed it sadly draped over a hanger in my wardrobe, just wanting to be worn. With the winter weather quickly approaching, chiffon blouses are not what I want to be wearing right now. They most definitely have the chilly-factor.

However, I decided to nip to our local Shopping Centre, Meadowhall, to do a spot of Christmas shopping. Knowing that I'd be indoors all night, I figured that it probably would be the best time to whip out the chiffon blouse. Teamed with a blazer and scarf (mainly to keep me warm in the car journey), I managed to balance the warmth out just right.

The present shopping was successful and I've pretty much managed to get all of my Christmas shopping! Wowza, it isn't even December! I just have a few more bits and bobs to get.

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Gosh Wild Lilac nail polish

2011-11-26T16:38:00.000Z

Gosh Nail Polish - Wild Lilac

I actually forgot I had this nail polish until the other day when I was routing around my nail products draw and stumbled upon it's beautiful lilac self. Although after applying, I did get a huge hefty smudge on my index finger. Nail fail.

The reason I went digging for this nail varnish was, that I was re-watching a few episodes on Towie online and saw Lydia Bright sporting a gorgeous lilac nail polish. I was going to buy myself one, but then realised I already had one! Bonus.

It's a terrible photo of Lydia, but it's the only one I could find online of the said polish. I nabbed this one from Google Images.

I know it's a tad summery, but if you like something, why not wear it? Do you enjoy purple polishes as much as I do? What is your current fave polish for winter?

What's in my Bag?

2011-11-23T19:30:00.003Z

Ahh, the good old 'What's in my Bag?' post. Fulfilling all the nosey parkers needs of wondering "What is actually in there?" Ha ha. These posts are always floating around all over the shop. I actually did one eons ago, and whilst feeling a little bored one day, I decided to get a few photos taken of what I like to carry around in my bag on a daily basis and do you and updated 'What's in my Bag' post. However, my bag contents changes on a daily basis, depending on what I'm doing that day. But, here's what I was carrying around on this particular day.

We'll start off with my actual bag. This is the Paul's Boutique large Maisy bag in nude. It retails at £61 in shops.

Here is what I lug around with me;

Vivienne Westwood Purse

Toni & Guy Hairbrush

Pink pen

Soap & Glory Handfood

Umbrella

My phone

Ted baker Makeup Bag

Stella McCartney perfume STELLA

Tresemme hairspray

Tissues

Lots of chewing gum

Sweets

And a random letter to remind me my car tax is due to be renewed (boo hoo)!

And here is what I carry around in my little makeup bag. I don't like to carry a tonne of makeup around with me, I just don't find is necessary. Who needs to top up every single part of their face throughout the day? I know I don't. There's much more important things to be doing with my day! Saying that, I only ever really top up my lipstick, the others are just in case of emergency.

Asthma inhaler (not makeup I know but I like to keep it safe)

MAC Shy Girl lipstick

Sleek Peaches & Cream lipstick

MAC Style Blush

Sigma blush brush

MAC stippling brush

MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus

Chanel compact mirror

MAC Boy Bait lipgloss

Dior lipgloss

Benefit High Beam highlighter

And last but not least, you can't really see from the first photo, but this is what my phone case looks like. It's a little Hello Kitty case from eBay. If anybody would like to buy one, you can get them from this seller here.

Haul: Lush Christmas

2011-11-21T19:30:00.001Z

I haven't been to Lush in an absolute life time. I usually receive gifts from Lush for such as birthdays and Christmas, so I never feel the need to go in myself as I'm usually stocked up for the year. My favourites are definitely their bath bombs.

However, I shall be moving in with my boyfriend in the next few months - yes, our very own house! How exciting! I wanted to pick up a few bath bombs to use when I'm there as the bath is huge!

After watching many Christmas Lush haul videos on YouTube, I decided to pop in and pick up a couple for myself. I adore the little paper bag they have for Christmas, with the little candy cane handle - how cute?

Here's what I picked up;

Cinders Ballistic - £1.95

Lush Lil Pud Ballistic - £1.95

When exploring the Lush store, I go by one rule and one rule only; "If it smells good, buy it!"

I'm notorious for buying products just because they smell so good. It doesn't matter what they are, but if they smell edible, chances are - I'll buy them.

I couldn't resist this cute little Christmas Pudding bath bomb - utterly adorable!

Have you treated yourself to the Lush Christmas range? If so, what have you bought? What are your favourites? And, are there any that you wouldn't recommend?

I'd love to hear about your thoughts..

Breaking Dawn Attire

2011-11-19T16:43:00.000Z

Jumper: Primark | Shirt: Zara | Jeans: River Island | Lipstick: MeMeMe - Ultimate Red

Firstly, I would just like to say that these photos were a tad rushed as I was eager to dash out of the house to the cinema. I'm not overly keen on them actually, but they'll have to do. It was one of those nights when you look in the mirror and think to yourself "Hmm, that looks OK!", but your camera picks up something completely different! Ha ha. For some reason I look really bulky - I'm hoping it's just the jumper as I have lost weight.

Anyhow.. On Friday night, I went to see the very longly awaited Breaking Dawn at the cinema with my boyfriend. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I have been for this day to come (as I'm sure most Twilight fans have been!). I pre-booked our seats as it's quite notorious for these films to sell out straight away.

The film was everything I hoped it to be and really lived up to the book which I was so pleased about. I wont give anything away for those of you who haven't seen it yet (or read the books), but I was just gutted when it came to an end. I was on the edge of my seat and could have quite happily shouted "Nooooooo!" at the top of my lungs when the credits came on. Word of warning to those of you who haven't seen it, when you go, make sure you wait until the end of the credits as there is another little clip for you to watch.

Who has been to see it so far? What did you think?

In other news, I'm currently in love with my new lip gloss, Ultimate Red by MeMeMe. I've pretty much been wearing it none stop as of late. I'm not really one for red lipstick, but I just fell in love with this colour and I've been wearing it ever since. I'd highly recommend it as it has great staying power and doesn't even smudge! If you would like me to do a review at some point, then let me know in the comments and I'll get one up for you as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!

Leeds Bloggers Meetup

2011-11-13T23:43:00.001Z

On Saturday morning, I jumped on a train and headed to Leeds to meet lots of lovely ladies for the Bloggers Meet Up. Once I arrived, I was greeted by my stunning B4 crew members Haidee and Maxine, who were happily munching on sandwiches. I think we've known each other for nearly a year now - and they're actually two of the nicest (most hilarious) people I've ever met! Also, shout out to Helen who couldn't make it. We miss you Chinston!

Next up, we headed to meet all the rest of the crew at the Corn Exchange. We were greeted by a gaggle of bloggers, and even more exciting - a goody bag which was prepared for everyone by Tor and Ray. Thank you girls!

We had a huge table booked for lunch at the Red Hot Buffet. An all you can eat buffet is my kinda lunch! After filling our faces with lots of yummy food, we all had a little introductory talk. "Hi my name is so and so!" etc etc. I was looking forward to this part as there were a lot of faces I didn't recognise so I was eager to find out who everybody was. Everyone was so lovely and we all got along really well!

At the end of the table we had Charlotte, Sinead and Carla (sorry I don't have a link to your blog??)

Then we had Jo, Hollie (my newly adopted daughter) and one of the lovely ladies behind all the organising, Tor.

Tor again with Kirstie and Danielle.

Ellie, Ray, Laura (who managed to pap my amazing santa sack OOTD haha) and Caroline.

Just a group of beauty bloggers showing you a stunning Face of the Day. It's just the standard.

We spent the day browsing around shops before heading to the pub (highly requested by myself haha) for some drinks and a good old chinwag. We were joined by a few more girlies later throughout the day; Gem, Victoria, Cat and Liloo.

We were also in the amazing company of Ken. I recruited him to the group, and he kindly showed us his hat covered in badges (amazing OOTD) as told by Ken. We all loved the Ken banter.

Gem kindly decided to participate in a feature post for my blog. This was Gem's Outfit of the Day, as you can see, she is wearing a lovely Lauren shaped hat - which is available at all well known retailers.

I was gutted that I couldn't stay for the night time antics, but had to head off home on the train as i had a birthday night out to attend. I had a super fun day though! It was so nice to meet everyone, and I'm sure they can safely say they now they have met me in person, they know just how much of a mental woman I am! Ha ha! I say, Roll on the next meet up!

Here is what was in my goody bag;

Thanks again for Tor and Ray for organising the day! I had a fab time!

(Leave a link to your Leeds meet up blog posts in the comments below)

Afternoon Cream Tea

2011-11-09T14:36:00.000Z

Last weekend, my friend and I decided to head out for a ladies Afternoon Cream Tea. Complete with cucumber sandwiches, a huge pot of tea and some delightful fruity scones.

The venue where our afternoon tea held place, was the ever so beautiful Leopold Hotel in Sheffield city centre. We arrived at 2:30pm and were treated to complimentary champagne as there was a wait on a table for us. We didn't really mind, as the surroundings were lovely - and who doesn't want free champers, hey?

Dressed in posh frocks and heels, we were escorted to our cute little tea party table.

I really enjoyed the whole afternoon as was definitely full to burst by the end of it. If you are anywhere near Sheffield, I would highly recommend venturing to the Leopold Hotel for afternoon tea. It would also make a lovely Birthday, Christmas or even Mothers Day gift for someone.

Do you love afternoon tea parties as much as I do?

Winter Snuggles

2011-11-05T11:11:00.001Z

Jumper: Primark | Glasses Necklace: Handmade by Me | Jeggings: Primark | Lipstick: MAC Ravishing

A couple of weeks back, I decided it was time to invest in some winter woollies. I sauntered down to my local Primark on a Saturday afternoon and picked up some of their winter jumpers, including the one photographed. I also got the same in a wine colour and a black & white striped one. I bought them all in a couple of sizes bigger, enabling me to get the 'snuggly' look. I much prefer my jumpers on the larger size - gives you something to cosy up into.

On this particular day, I didn't actually do anything to my hair. It was one of those miraculous mornings, when you wake up and your hair actually looks half decent (which doesn't happen very often - believe me!). I just added hairspray and had what appeared to be some nice voluminous waves.

Bedhead love. I'm hoping my hair decides to do this more often, as it saves me heaps of time!

I'm actually off work now for a whole week! Woohoo! I haven't got all that much planned, I shall mostly be getting a few bits and bobs ticked off my 'To Do List' as well as relaxing to the fullest.
Me and my friend are actually off to a lovely posh hotel in the center of Sheffield to attend their afternoon cream tea - which I'm really looking forward to. Cucumber sandwiches and teapots galore. Very La Dee Dah Dahrrrrling.

Tonight, I'm off to the local pub for Bonfire Night. I'm not actually all that fussed on fireworks etc. I'd much rather have a night in with a cuppa in front of the TV. I'm just going for the bar and socialising! Ha ha!

Hope that you all have a lovely weekend! Let me know if you're up to anything nice?

Blood Bitten Lips

2011-11-03T20:24:00.000Z

Blazer: River Island | Grey Tee: All Saints | Jeans: Primark | Necklace: Primark

I've been searching for a nice red lipstick for a while now. After being bewildered with choice in Superdrug, I ended up buying three red lipsticks on a whim; Revlon - Revlon Red, MUA - Shade 13 and the one I'm sporting in these photos Me Me Me - Ultimate Red.

I actually fell in love with this colour after seeing Towie's Lydia bright sporting the exact same lipstick. It's really wearable for day or evening wear. I was worried about the colour clashing with my hair, but I actually think it goes quite nicely. Red lipstick is usually renowned for smudging, but I was happy to see that my lovely blood bitten lipstick managed to stay put all night without a touch up!

What is your favourite red lipstick?

Halloween Tutorial: Open Flesh Wrist Wound

2011-10-25T21:41:00.000+01:00

Halloween is slowly creeping up on us, and then, before you know it........ BOO! It's here. *evil cackle*

I love Halloween and all that comes with it; scary costumes, crazy makeup, carving pumpkins and spooky stories. I decided to have a little play around with some makeup and fake blood. What I resulted with, was a damn scary realistic wrist slash! Eeeek!

So, here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to create and open wound this Halloween.

What you will need:

Foundation, powder, fake blood, liquid latex, black eye pencil, scissors, tweezers, cuticle stick, tissue.

Step 1:

Cover the selected area in liquid latex. Then lay on a layer of tissue, cover with another layer of liquid latex and repeat this with another layer of tissue. Wait 3-5mins until dry.

Step 2:

Once dried, apply foundation to make the 'blob' skin coloured. Blend in the edges.

Step 3:

The foundation alone will look shiny, so to matt it down, use face powder to set it with a kabuki brush.

Step 4:

Using a cuticle stick, break through the set 'skin' and scrape back to make a peeling effect. Continue this until you have the desired effect.

Step 5:

Using the scissors trim off any unwanted areas, and use the tweezers to carefully pull open the scar wound without ripping.

Step 6:

To make the cut appear deep, apply black pencil eyeliner to all the areas which are intended to look 'open'.

Step 7:

Add some fake blood and voila! You have an eerie yucky open wound!

Just another photo to gross you all out!

I actually ran downstairs screaming to my Mum showing her this! You should have seen the look on her face - Priceless!!

Anyways, I how you have found this a helpful tutorial. I'll hopefully have more Halloween posts for you soon... So stay tuned...

Wishlist: October Edition

2011-10-23T17:52:00.007+01:00

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

I'm always having a nosey through pages and pages of eBay items. I love the variety of different things it has to offer - you can find practically everything you could ever wish for. It's safe to say I'm a self-confessed eBay addict. Even if I'm not buying anything, I do always enjoy a good old leisurely browse from time to time.

So, this month's wish list is all from eBay! I think I'm going to have to pass this on to a few Family and Friends with a little *nudge nudge* for my Christmas presents. Ha, ha!

What are you loving this October?

Welcome the Winter

2011-10-21T20:42:00.035+01:00

We all hate it when those blistery cold months begin creeping up on us. I used to love snow, but unfortunately now, just the thought of a snowdrop on the ground leaves me anxious (it must be a driver thing). I know that I'm not alone on this. Who would choose to be freezing cold, when you could be sporting your shades in the sunshine? Am I right?

Well, I decided to cast my bad relationship with winter aside and actually embrace the colder months. By simply enjoying those little simple things that come as part and parcel of winter. Hopefully, you will be able to put your winter blues aside and enjoy these little lovely things too!

Here are a few little things I like to do in Winter;

Bake:

There's nothing better than taking a little peek in your cook book at something yummy to whip up. If you're wondering what these little treasures are, they're little chocolate buns with gooey melted chocolate filling. Super amazing when you bite into them! Mmmm.

Snuggle up:
Cosy nights in. You can't beat them! And what better to invest in to make your snuggly night in front of the telly so much better? A pair of fluffy slipper boots with pom poms! I love mine, I got them recently from Primark - £4.

Dive into a Book:
I love reading, but I find that I don't often have time to just sit and read for hours on end. I'm a really busy lady. Although, now that it's colder, I've really enjoyed snuggling into bed early with a good book. I'm currently reading two at the moment. Both of which I would highly recommend. I haven't read a really good book in a while. The first being 'One Moment, One Morning' - a dramatic, keeps you guessing kind of book. I'm only half way through it and can't seem to put it down! The other book is a Body Language Book. For years I have found body language and the secrets it holds utterly fascinating. How you can read a person just by the way they hold themselves. My lovely friend actually bought this book as a present for me, and kindly popped it in my work locker to brighten my morning!

Pamper yourself:
Want to warm yourself up and relax at the same time? Just the thought of a bubbly bath makes me want to jump into one straight away! Stock up on Bubble baths, bath bombs and luxury bathing items ready for those lazy nights when you've had a hard day at work. I like to keep my Lush products in a little heart shaped wire basket - it's a great way of storing them.

Invest in some Winter Woollies:
I couldn't resist a recent lap of honour in the old ye faithful, Primark. I can always count on the fact that when I step foot in primark, I'll always walk out with a carrier bag full of goodies in my hand. What better way to stock up your wardrobe for the colder months, than the Primark way! Cheap and cheerful! (All three jumpers bought from Primark recently and range between £8 and £14)

Winter Colours:
Sort out your winter coloured makeup/nail varnishes etc and put the summery colours to the back of your drawer. They're going to get lots of use these next few months! I love to go for rusty colours, browns, and deep reds.

Love Movies:
I've had my Lovefilm subscription for a good couple of years now and I absolutely love it. For those warm cosy nights in, what better to do than to pop a film on and snuggle up on the settee. With free delivery, you can't really go wrong. Create our own movie list online, sit back and wait for your first DVD to arrive. Simples. I love it!

Light Candles:
They're relaxing. They smell delicious. They make your house look cosy. What better thing to do than to fill your room with pretty tea lights?

Fill your Tummy:
But.. don't go overboard. I'm trying to watch my calorie intake, but when it comes to to treats, I have such a sweet tooth. A great alternative to big fatty puddings are these amazing fruit crumbles by Weight Watchers. They're only 170cal per pot! Bonus!

I hope you enjoyed reading! What are your favourite things to do in Winter time?

My Lipstick Collection

2011-10-17T23:04:00.000+01:00

After a recent makeup clear out and updated storage organisation, I decided to pop a little post on here of my lipstick collection. I constructed a lipstick collection post a while ago, and since then I've accumulated a few more lipsticks - I think I actually have a few more since this I took these photos, but hey ho, let's get cracking!

I have a wide variety of colours and brands - my all time favourite being MAC. Something I did notice is that I actually don't own any red lipsticks! Shock horror! I have a red lip gloss, but none of the lipstick variety. If you girls would like to recommend to me your favourite red lipstick it would be much appreciated. I've got my eye on the Me Me Me lipstick in Ultimate Red, which I quite like. Also, used by Towie's Lydia.

Anyways, I'm digressing. Here are my lipsticks in all their glory;

Light Pinks

[L-R]:

Bodyshop 55, MUA shade 2, Barry M 100, Elf Runway Pink, MAC Snob and x2 MAC Creme Cup.

Purples

[L-R]:

BeautyUK shade 3, MUA shade 3, Barry M Palest Lavendar, Revlon Wild Orchid, MAC Up the Amp.

Bright Pinks

[L-R]:

Barry M 140, Barry M 62, MUA shade 5, Topshop Brighton Rock, MAC Impassioned.

Nudes

[L-R]:

Barry M 101, MAC Myth, MAC Creme D'nude, MAC Shy Girl, MAC Venemous Villians range.

Oranges

[L-R]:

Barry M 54, Barry M 53, Sleek Peaches & Cream, MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Costa Chic, YSL Peach Faubourg.

PLUS: I've just purchased MAC Hue and MAC Viva Glam Gaga2.

So there we have it, my lipstick collection. My most used have to be MAC Creme Cup and MAC Shy Girl. Those are my all time favourite lipsticks. They're really wearable and seem to go with pretty much everything.

I'd love to see your lipstick collections! In fact, I tag you all to do it and then leave a comment with a link to your post. What are your favourite lipsticks?

Face of the Night

2011-10-12T00:33:00.000+01:00

Face:

Liquid foundation = Chanel Mat Lumiere - Naturel 50
Setting powder = MAC MSF Natural - Medium Plus
Bronzer = Bourjouis Chocolate bronzer - 52
Blusher = MAC Blushbaby

Eyes:

Eyebrows = HD Brows eyebrows kit
Liquid eyeliner = Rimmel
Mascara = Maybelline Colossol
Eye liner = MAC eye kohl - Smoulder
False lashes = Eylure Girls Aloud Nicola Roberts (original)

Lips:

Lipstick = MAC Hue
Lipliner = MAC In Synch

I decided to ditch the eyeshadow on this particular night. The main reason being; because I didn't actually have enough time to start titivating myself. I opted for some fluttery falsies, complete with thick liquid eyeliner (a'la Lauren Conrad). My lovely friend, Maxine, also introduced me to this particular lip liner. Never in my life have I used lip liner, and now that I have used it, it's safe to say I shall never be going back. It really defines your lips and creates a fuller pout. However, lip liner can be dangerous! Make sure that you find one to suit your lipstick, as you can end up looking like a drag queen!

Cheeky little MAC Haul

2011-10-01T15:47:00.000+01:00

Lipsticks: Viva Glam Gaga 2 & Hue | Eyeshadow: Embark | Blusher: Blushbaby

We all love a cheeky trip to MAC, don't we? After having a MAC Makeover earlier on in the year (which I blogged about), I've been slowly getting my mitts of the products in which the lovely make-up artist used on my face. I purchased the following lovely treasure;

What are your MAC favourites?

White Blazer

2011-09-27T19:30:00.004+01:00

Blazer: H&M | Dress: New Look | Pendant: Dorothy Perkins | Rings: Primark, Dorothy Perkins

I have actually fallen in love with my white blazer. I recently purchased it from H&M, and ever since that glorious day it arrived in the post, its safe to say that it has been a staple item in my wardrobe. I can literally throw it on over anything, and it can smarten up any outfit. I think it looks great for a night time look when you want to dress up, or for a casual look for daytime wear. Either way, I've been rocking it most weekends.

With the colder months quickly approaching, I figured I would need something to slip on over my outfits on a night out. There is nothing worse than spending your time shivering in a queue outside a bar/club. Call me old, but I think I'm getting to that stage where warmth is over-riding the importance of looking good. I can feel my sensible head coming along! Ha, ha!

What are your staple wardrobe items for this Autumn?

Paperdreams Honey

2011-09-24T17:55:00.001+01:00

Blouse: Primark | Maxi Dress: New Look | Rings: Primark, Dorothy Perkins

I bought some new MAC makeup this week and decided to try out my new Blushbaby Blusher and Hue lipstick. I must say that I'm a fan of both, although, nothing can top my all round favourite MAC lipstick, which is of course; Shy Girl. However, i do think that Hue is a lovely nude pink and looks great for day wear as well as evening wear.

Today, I went to go and finally see 'Friends with Benefits' at the cinema. If you haven't already seen it - it's a must! It's not often that I enjoy rom-coms, I'm much more of a boys-film type of girl. I love a bit of guns and action and usually tend to ditch the very predictable romantic comedy's. I thought this was really good though, as it wasn't your run of the mill rom-com. I'll not spoil the fun for you, but if you haven't already, you must o and watch it with the girls.

I really want to go and see 'The Change Up' (I think it's called) with Ryan Reynolds. The whole concept of the film reminds me of Lindsay Lohan's Freaky Friday, with the whole body swapping escapades. Another film on my 'To Watch' list is Final Destination 5 - you can't beat a bit of gore.

Has anyone seen this films and would you recommend them?

Not long until Breaking Dawn comes out! Excited!

Edinburgh: What beauty products did I take?

2011-09-18T12:03:00.001+01:00

At the beginning of this week, my boyfriend and I spent a few days in Edinburgh. I wrote a post about it here, if you would like to take a little peep.

With us only going for three days, I wanted to keep the beauty items I took to a minimum. they always seem to clog up my bag and I'm not the type of person who can travel light. I took an afternoon stroll to my local Superdrug and was really pleased to see that the have a travel-sized section of products. The perfect size for a little holiday.

I grabbed these mini Charles Worthington Shampoo & Conditioners. I think they were roughly £1.19 each? I can't really remember, but they're the perfect size for three days. I hadn't used Charles Worthington products until now, but I can actually say I've finally found a shampoo/conditioner which is perfect for my hair. I think it is a new favourite for sure! They also have different ranges for all different hair types, so there is something to suit everybody! Another great thing about them being so small, is that if you want to try out this product, you can purchase this smaller size, which is a great tester. Then if you like - you can buy the full sized ones!

Another item from Superdrug's Travel sized products was this can of Tresemme hairspray. I always buy this in the full size anyways and have a small one which i like to keep in my handbag. I find that it is one of the only hairsprays I actually like the smell of. For good measures, I also threw in some Solait fake tan mousse and my lady Million perfume.

The miniatures are here again, this time in the form of Soap & Glory (from Boots travel sized section). I didn't want to be lugging around the huge 'Clean on Me' bottle of shower gel, so I opted for this small one. I did also want to pick up the smaller version of Bodyshops Strawberry Body Butter, but it just so happened that I didn't have enough time. the tub i took with me is the 200ml £12.00, but however, you can get the travel sized versions of 50ml which are £5.00.

And last but most certainly not least, my 'couldn't-live-without-skincare'. My olde ye faithful Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, Toner and Moisturiser. These are the full sized products, but again, Liz Earle provide what the call a 'Starter Kit' with all miniature versions of these products - perfect for your travels!

Have you been on a mini-break this year? If so, where did you go and what did you take?

Little trip to Edinburgh

2011-09-16T12:01:00.000+01:00

This week, the boyfriend and I jumped into the car and decided to take a road trip and head up to Edinburgh for a few days. Living in Sheffield, the drive itself took a whopping 5 hours - but, strangely I really enjoyed it and it actually went really quick. After two stops at the service station, nearly getting crashed into on the motorway and lots of rainbow photo opportunities, we finally arrived in bonny Scotland! The hotel we had booked was amazing. The Ballentrae Hotel was a gorgeous old fashioned hotel with plenty of historical character. We booked an apartment, rather than a room and it was actually huge! I had lots of fun exploring (as you do) the apartment and was delighted to see it had a cute little tea/coffee arrangement. Simple things like this really excite me! I was like "Howww cuutte is this teapot??!"

We headed out to see what Edinburgh had to offer us. On our first day, we went to a place called Camera Obscura, which was basically a little museum full of illusions from crazy games, holograms and then to finish it all off, the amazing view point from the top of the building for the 'Rooftop Experience'. We spent the rest of the day having a wander round, and getting our bearings. Having never been to Scotland, I was really looking forward to learning all about it's history, plus, engaging in lots of photo taking opportunities. The weather, however, wasn't so great. Wind, wind, rain, more wind and even more rain all put together left a very soggy and not so happy Lauren. I had the frizziest hair known to man-kind, complete with what I liked to refer to as my 'rain face'. Mascara down the cheeks galore. Being far to wet and windy for any umbrella to hack, we had to rush into the local shops and invest in a waterproof coat for me and a woolly hat for Lee.

On day two, we both decided to take in Edinburgh's history and visit the Edinburgh Castle. Now, I didn't actually think I'd enjoy this trip, it was more Lee who actually wanted to go, but once I was there I really enjoyed it. There was so much to see and do! History Geeks'R'us. Yay! It took us roughly 3 hours to look around the whole castle - and the view was amazing! We actually managed to cram a lot into our day by also grabbing a quick cocktail in the Hard Rock Cafe (it would be rude not to!). Afterwards, we decided to jump on the Bus Tour, to have a better look around Edinburgh and also learn a few things. I actually learned about where the saying 'daylight robbery' comes from - all involving a man named William Pitt who invented Income tax. He tried charging people extra tax if they had more than six windows in their house. Because people didn't want to pay, they bricked up any extra windows they had to avoid the charges, leaving them with less daylight in their homes and hence the saying 'daylight robbery'. You learn something new every day, huh? To finish the day off we went on a spooky ghost walk underground at Mary Kings Close, where we learned all about how years ago, the poor people in Edinburgh had to live under the ground. But when the Black Plague began spreading, 300 infected people were left underground and had the entrance bricked up, leaving them all there to die. Morbid, but really spooky and interesting. If you ever visit Edinburgh, I'd highly recommend it!

On our 3rd and final day in Edinburgh, we decided to spend the day at the zoo. And well, the photos speak for themselves.

I LOVE PENGUINS.

Lauren and the Chocolate Factory

2011-09-07T19:30:00.002+01:00

Aren't I a lucky girl with all these tasty chocolates?

With the boyfriend working away, I figured that I would treat myself to a cosy night in with a cup of tea and a box of Thorntons chocolates.

*Cue mouth watering photos*

When it comes to chocolates, at our house the first ones to be gobbled up are the cremes; Strawberry, orange, caramel cups etc. We're usually left with all the nutty ones; yucky coconut being the main.

What are your favourite chocolates in a box? And which ones do you leave until last that nobody eats?

Come on Skinny Love

2011-09-05T19:30:00.001+01:00

First of all, the title to this post is not a weight reference - it's actually a song I'm loving so much at the moment. For those of you who are Vampire Diaries fans will know this song from the last series, I actually cant take it off repeat on my iPhone.

Birdy - Skinny Love

I love everything about this song. The vocals, the tune, the lyrics - I just can't get enough of it.

Last weekend, I got together with the lovely Helen for a spot of retail therapy, Wagamamas and Starbucks. The perfect way to spend any Saturday if you ask me. Here is the outfit I sported;

Playsuit & Belt - Quiz

Scarf - Alexander McQueen inspired

Bag - Pauls Boutique

Jacket - Primark

Bracelets - ASOS, eBay, H&M

I actually never, ever shop in Quiz. Personally, I find it quite tacky - but thats my own opinion. It just so happened that I saw this playsuit in the window display and just had to nip in to get it.
My boyfriend recently bought me this Pauls Boutique bag for my birthday and since then I haven't stopped using it since - I love it. I removed the charms and opted for using them as a keyring for my car keys instead, keeping the bag classic and minimalistic.

How have your weekends been?

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint

2011-09-03T11:25:00.003+01:00

Last month, the lovely ladies at Liz Earle kindly sent me their new Skin Tint to try out, which is due to launch this month. I love my foundations and full coverage, but when it comes to one of those lazy days when you can't really be bothered to make much of an effort (yes, we all know the ones), it's always nice to have a product at hand that can brighten up your face with very little effort.

I love using tinted moisturisers when I'm away on holiday, as you literally jump out of bed and want to hit the pool straight away to avoid missing any of the glorious sunshine and chance to grab a sun tan. The last thing you want is to spend 30mins in front of the mirror putting your face on. However - you do still want to look like a sun goddess, and not like you've literally just rolled out of bed.

This is why I love tinted moisturisers. They give your skin coverage, without looking cakey, and still enabling the vitamin D to soak into your pores.

Unfortunately for me, I'm not going on holiday this year, due to saving up to move in with my boyfriend and also saving for a new car. So, the skin tint for me has been a 15minutes time saver in a morning. I've been wearing it every day for work since I received it.

I was also kindly sent an information pack, so that I could fill you lovely ladies in on Liz Earle's new Sheer Skin Tint.

Liz Earle quotes;
"We have formulated a unique, high performance beauty must-have that delivers great results on all skin types. Sheer Skin Tint is our first step into effortless, easy to wear colour. It's a skin thing!"

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint will be available from 15th September 2011.
£21.00/40ml in 3 shades; Bare, Beige, Beach.

I opted for the medium shade 'Beige', this looks well on my skin with or without a tan as I have been testing out over the past couple of weeks.

Here is a little swatch guide for you of Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint in 'Beige' on my skin...

My Fake Tan Collection

2011-08-29T19:22:00.001+01:00

It can be known that I am somewhat of a tanning enthusiast - of the fake variety of course!
Over the past year I have accumulated many different formulas and brands of fake tan. From mousses to lotions, high end brands to cheaper options, and here in this post, I will inform you of my tanning experiences.

It can be overwhelming when standing in the shop isles faced with all the different kinds of fake tan. Which one is right for you? As you can see below, I've tried and tested a variety of different kinds and hopefully this post will be of help for those of you in a fake tan rut.

I introduce to you, my fake tan collection. Welcome to the ~~dark side~~ orange side.

In my line up from left to right I have;

- Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Lotion

- Superdrugs Solait Tinted Bronzing Foam (Medium/Dark)

- St Tropez Bronzing Mousse

- St Moriz DARK Instant Tanning Mousse

- St Moriz Instant Tanning Mousse

- Xen-Tan Mist Intense DARK

- Rimmel Sun Shimmer (Medium Matte)

Rimmel Sun Shimmer (Medium Matte)

We'll start with my all time favourite tan. Rimmel Sun Shimmer is available in any local drug store for £5.99. Sun Shimmer is an instant tanning lotion and I always opt for the shade 'medium matte'. The other shades available are; Fair Matte, Fair Shimmer and Medium Shimmer. I haven't tried the shimmer range myself, but after seeing it on my friends, I much prefer the 'matte' for myself.

Rimmel Sun Shimmer is a little bit like Marmite - you either love it or you hate it. As it is an instant tanning lotion, however you apply, the final outcome is visible straight away. I love instant tans as you have a colour to guide you, hence why I rarely make fake tan mistakes. Tan developers apply clear and are usually a recipe for disaster as I feel you are 'applying blind' and have no idea where you have/haven't applied.

Another reason this tan is like Marmite is because it is a wash off formula. This is great so that you can be really dark for a night out, then as if by magic, in the morning, all traces of the night before are washed away. I love this aspect of Sun Shimmer. However, the only down side is that if you get caught in any rain whilst out, it will give the game away that you're wearing fake tan. And Hello Streaksville!

I suggest this tan if you are looking for: Something with instant results, quick and easy to apply, a dark result.
I do not recommend if: You want a natural look, something long lasting, something build able.

With the fact that this is my favourite fake tan aside, the rating I give this is:

Rating: 4/5

Xen-Tan Mist Intense DARK

I hadn't heard of Xen-Tan until I joined the blogging community. After reading a few blog reviews and hearing lots of good things, (mainly how odourless it was, it didn't have the tell-tale fake tan smell, and instead was vanilla scented0 I was eager to try out Xen-Tan for myself. I was kindly sent this bottle from the PR team to road test. I don't usually go for sprays as I find them really messy and tend to stain everything in sight. This bottle of Xen-Tan can be found here for £23.99.

I do think the price is high end, and was expecting the tan to live up to it's price. I was rather disappointed with the overall result. The tan as a green-ish tinge to it, yes, you don't end up looking like you've been tango'ed, but you do look like you've spent a few hours down a mine shaft. I refuse to think this tan gives you a 'sun-kissed' look and gives you more of a dirty look. It also clung to unwanted areas, making it look like I had a moustache. After I jumped in the shower to wash off the top layer, I was left looking back to my normal pasty self. Hardly a 'weekly tan' in my opinion.

Some people really like this tan, but unfortunately it isn't for me.

Rating: 1/5

St Moriz Instant Tanning Mousse
St Moriz Instant Tanning Mousse DARK

Rather than doing two seperate reviews on both of these St Moriz tans, I figured that I would combine them into one. The only difference between the two is that one tan is a medium shade and the other is dark. Both products are a mousse formula providing an easy and streak-free application. St Moriz however does have the tell-tale fake tan scent of biscuits. The scent isn't overpowering, but it is there.

St Moriz retails at £2.99 in the shops, and for that price, you can't really complain. St Moriz has been compared to St Tropez, and it's no surprise why. It provides you with instant colour, is easy to apply and is long lasting.

Rating: 4/5

St Tropez Bronzing Mousse

When it comes to weekly tans, St Tropez has always lived up to my tanning expectations. It can be purchased from any local drugstore and also online here, usually retailing around the £20.00 mark (depending on where you buy it from) - this may seem expensive and St Tropez is a higher end fake tan brand. But, I can honestly say you do get what you pay for. The mousse formula ensures a fast drying and non-streak result. Out of all my fake tans, I feel that St Tropez is the fake tan which provides me with the most natural looking colour to match my own skin tone when I have been in the sun or on holiday.

I have always found St Tropez to be long lasting and best of all, has a very minimized 'fake tan' smell in comparison to other fake tans on the market.

Rating: 5/5

Superdrugs Solait Tinted Bronzing Foam (Medium/Dark)

I recently purchased Solait Tinted Bronzing Foam after one of my friends recommended it to me. She always has lovely sunkissed looking skin, so I figured that it would be a great fake tan investment.

Solait is Superdrugs own brand and retails at £6.00. I think this is a good price for fake tan.

Solait reminds me of a mixture between St Moriz and St Tropez - easy to apply and streak free. The only downsides being that it is a rather orange colour, so take this into consideration when apply and don't get too 'Tan-happy' otherwise you may end up resembling a satsuma. Solait also has a really strong fake tan smell, which can be overpowering no matter how much perfume you apply.

Rating: 3/5

Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tanning Lotion

Palmers Cocoa Butter is without a doubt my favourite gradual tanning lotion. Perfect for applying daily and keeping your body moisturised with the sweet smelling fragrance of cocoa beans, it's no wonder why this is probably my most re-purchased moisturier. I've used gradual tanners in the past; Dove, Johnsons and Garnier, but they all just don't quite cut it. Especially the Garnier. That product is dangerous and I advise everybody to stay away from it. It serverly burned my skin causing an itchy rash and I am now left with scars.

I can't remember the exact price of Palmers Cocoa Butter, but is is roughly around the £5 mark and can be purchased from your local drugstore.

Rating: 5/5

I hope this post has been of help to any of you who are looking to try out a new fake tan. What are your favourite fake tans? I'd love to hear about them. And also, are your opinions on the fake tans I've listed different to what I think about them.

Tell me all about it in the comments below..

My Red Hair

2011-08-24T18:20:00.000+01:00

I'm always receiving lots of lovely emails from you girlies, and I've noticed that the most popular questions I'm asked are mainly regarding my hair;

"What colour/hair dye do you use on your hair?"
"How do you get your hair so red/purple?"
"How do you ask for your hair cut at the hairdressers?"
"How do you get your hair so big?"

Well, I figured that I would construct a blog post with all the answers for you.
Here is what my hair looks like at the moment;

It's kind of a multi-tone reddish plum colour.

First of all, it has taken me a while to reach this said colour - with many different hair dyes later, this is finally the colour I've been lusting after for so long.

I started off with really dark brown hair and used Loreal Feria Plum Power for a good few months, just topping up my roots when I needed to. This gave my hair a nice reddish brown shine to it. I was really eager to get red hair, but I didn't want to damage my hair for this result. I've damaged my hair in the past and it isn't a good look. So, bleaching and stripping kits have always been a big no- no for me.

After a while of using Loreal Feria Plum Power, my hair got slightly brighter after every use. I then moved on to a Red by Swarzkopft. I'm not entirely sure of the colour but it was something like 'Real red'. I used this and didn't really like it that much as it left an orange tinge to my roots.

Wanting to get rid of this, I opted for Swarzkopft Cyber Plum. On the box is looked a really bright shiny plum. I can assure you it was the biggest hair mistake ever. The colour sent my hair black.

In desperation to lighten my hair back up I purchased one of the paint pots by Directions in Poppy Red. And since then, my hair has been this colour.

I just thought I would give you an insight to the products and colours I'm currently using on my hair;

I usually dye my hair with this Loreal hair dye whenever I get root regrowth, which is usually up to 6-8 weeks.

So that I'm not damaging my hair dying it all the time as red is very high maintenance, I usually whack one of these paint pots on every three weeks just to brighten the red which is already on it. I use 'Poppy Red', you can purchase these from little Goth shops usually and they're roughly £3.00 depending on where you get them. With my hair being long I tend to use two pots.

These paint pots are so easy to use. You literally shampoo your hair, rinse, slop this on for 15mins, rinse and then apply your conditioner and rinse as normal. Make sure you wear gloves though as it will stain!

Here is the Shampoo and Conditioner I'm also using to help maintain my red hair.

And so there you have it! My Red Hair Journey.

I hope this post has been of help. If you have anymore questions or queries, then feel free to comment below and I'll be glad to help!

My Birthday Post!! Presents, OOTD etc..

2011-08-22T18:36:00.000+01:00

Sorry I haven't posted a blog in a while, but as most of you will know, it was my Birthday last Tuesday. I've been so busy having fun, that I decided to conjure up this huge Birthday Post for you all to nosey at. This post will include what Birthday Presents I received, what I been up to, plus an Outfit of the Day.

On Tuesday 16th August, I turned the ripe old age of 25. Ahem, or as I like to call it; 21 Years and 48 Months. ha ha, i just add on another 12 months every year. Although, people always tell me I look a lot younger. Always a brucey bonus.

Let's get cracking with the best bit.....

Presents!

Here they are arranged nicely by my dearest Mum on our dining room table.

I was a really lucky girl to receive;

♥ £200 cash
♥ Pauls Boutique Maisy Bag
♥ Chanel inspired bag
♥ Brown leather pirate boots
♥ A session of Microdermabrasion Treatment
♥ A Massage
♥ Lush bath gift set
♥ MAC makeup gift voucher
♥ Travel Hold all bag
♥ Tea party set (Teapot, sugar bowl, milk jug and two cups)
♥ Eminems album
♥ Beyonce Album
♥ Beyonce 'Heat' perfume
♥ Nicki Minaj Album
♥ Calvin Klein Euphoria Perfume
♥ Sigma Eye makeup brush kit
♥ Three nail varnishes
♥ Nail foils
♥ Lots of sweets
♥ And other random bits

Here's a closer look at everything..

I booked a few days off work to enjoy my birthday celebrations. What did I get up to? I hear you cry!

I've been a really busy little bee. On Saturday night, I had all the girls come round to mine to enjoy some pre-town drinks (cocktails which I prepared), Party Games, more cocktails and then we hit the town for some drunken antics!
Here are my friends tucking into the 'Sex on the Beach' cocktails I made. With special 'Lauren's Vodka measurements' ;) They sure did have a kick!

And finally, the most important part, which is of course the Birthday Dress!

Dress - ASOS
Shoes - Bank

Very excited about opening my Microdermabrasion session from my best friend.

If anybody is unsure to what Microdermabrasion actually is, I have put a link with an explanation above (in my gift list). It is basically a non-surgical face peel to remove and minimise signs of aging, wrinkles, age spots, freckles, acne, scars black heads and white heads. I'm really excited about it and have never had anything done like this before. I'm going to feel slightly like a celebrity having my special treatment!
If anybody is interested in having this done, I'll be doing a full blog post on my whole Microdermabrasion experience.

The party games..

As I mentioned before, all the girls came to mine Saturday night for drinks and party games. I couldn't leave you without some funny snaps we managed to get of us all participating in the silly party games. I'm such a random host and like to keep my guests entertained! Ha, ha.

To get the ball rolling we had a game of 'I Have Never'.

The rules? Big huge glass of cocktail in the middle complete with lots of straws. Go around the circle saying different things; eg: "I have never... been arrested." "I have never had sex on an Airplane" etc.
For those who have they have to take a drink from the middle. It's a great way to find out every bodies darkest secrets! Muhahaha!

Round 2: Pass the Cucumber.

Slightly like Pass the Parcel, only with a cucumber. The rules? You cannot use your hands. When the music stops, you're out!

Yes, I have a cucumber todger..

Round 3: Mummification.
The rules? Get into teams. You get one prop - a toilet roll. You have a one minute race to see who can get their team member the most "mummified". Ready... Steady.... GO!!!

Team one: Casey and Jess

Team 2: Abbie and Laura

Team 3: Elyse, Sarah and Nicky.

Team 4: Becky, Jess and Anita.

And the winners were; Elyse, Sarah and Nicky! Woohoo!

Here I am with my final contenders;

Round 4: How low can you go?

The rules? Pick up the said box with your mouth. The only part of your body allowed to touch the floor are your feet. For any of you who watch Celebrity Juice you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Haha!

Got to slide in a good old group shot. I love all of my friends so much!

Me and my Best Friend, Laura.

Me and my sister, Elyse.

We then all hit the town and met up with the rest of the clan.
Gotta have a Birthday Conga...

Little Pretty White Birthday Dress: £35.
Fake Tan: £25
Fluttery False lashes: £5
Punch machine: 50p
The look on randomers faces when I clock a decent score: PRICELESS!!!

(FYI - The top possible score is '999')

I have been told I have hidden strength, don't mess, innit.

Clearly loving life a teeny weeny bit too much! Needless to say I had a truly amazeballs night!

On Monday, my boyfriend, Lee and I headed to the seaside for a day filled with walking on the beach, going on rides, playing on the slot machines and waaaay too many sweets!

It just had to be done.

Then on the Tuesday, my friend Rachel and I headed off to Drayton Manor Theme Park/Zoo.

Croissants and Jam Donuts for breakfast, hmmm, ok!

A fun day filled with lots of sunshine, laughing, getting wet on rides, wanting to steal meerkats, being terrified and screaming my head off, plus lots lots more!

I really had such an amazing long Birthday weekend and I want to thank all of my family and friends for making it so special for me.

D'awwww I'm a cutie.

I hope you all enjoyed reading and looking at what I got up to!

The mirror can't look me in the eyes

2011-08-13T09:58:00.000+01:00

The day has finally come for my long Birthday weekend! I have four days off work in total, and intend to fill them with all kinds of Birthday fun.

My Birthday isn't actually until Tuesday, but I'm off work now until Wednesday - so, it's lovely!

I have so much planned, and like I did last year, I shall be conjuring up a blog post very soon filled with all the fun and mayhem I got up to. Including my OOTD, OOTN, my birthday presents, and all the fun along the way.

Shredded Tee - Primark

Shorts - DIY (made by me from an old pair of jeans)

Cardigan - Republic

Boots - Garage

Socks - Primark

Bag - New Look

Sunglasses - River Island

Nails - Barry M Mushroom

I've also had a huge amount of requests on Twitter to organise another Bloggers Meet Up, as the previous ones have been such a success (and so much fun!). I've met some brilliant people along the way.

Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming blog post about one. Just in advance for your diaries, it will be the last weekend in September in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. I will fill you all in on the details in the very near future.

If you are interested, then keep popping back to my blog for when I upload the details.

Peachy Keen Birthday Countdown

2011-08-10T23:15:00.000+01:00

I've been such a slacker lately when it comes to blogging. To be honest, I've had so much going on over these past few weeks. Some things nice, other things not so nice. Hence why I haven't blogged as much.

Anyways, that aside, I just wanted to show you my current favourite nail varnish to date;

Barry M - Peach Melba

It does take a couple of coats to get your nails looking completely opaque. I do often steer clear of nude colours as I find they don't apply well, take lots of coats to even look half decent and can quite often result in a streaky effect. But, I can safely say this 'Peach melba' has been a pleasant surprise. On the photos above are my nails after three coats.

In other news, it's my birthday in 5 days!!! (16th August to be precise) Eeeeeee Excitement! Although, I'm not overly excited by the fact that I'll be turning the ripe old age of 25.

To make me feel better about this 'getting old mlark' - If you would like to send cards/holiday vouchers/presents, then feel free to email me directly.
(Ha ha - only kidding)

;)

Make me Blush

2011-07-28T18:24:00.001+01:00

I actually almost forgot to tell you lovely ladies about last months exciting eBay purchase. This blog draft was simply wallowing away in my 'draft posts list' and was almost dismissed - but alas, I hunted it down!

The reason why I'm really excited to you the low down on my new Blush Palette is because of many reasons, with one main reason. That reason being; there are some down-right amazing MAC dupes.

Here is the said palette in all it's glory; *Awaits the sound of Angels Harmonising*

Pretty huh?

And you'll never guess how much I bagged it for? A mere five British pounds. Bargain-alious if you ask me!

I'm sure you're all really excited to hear about which MAC dupes are present in this palette. Colours included dupes of; Style, Dessert Rose, Well Dressed, Melba, Pinch O' Peach, Dollymix & Coygirl. There are probably more dupes amongst all these lovely colours. But, the ones I have listed are MAC blushes I own/have owned in the past, so I have been able to compare the colours - the resemblance being uncanny.

To say this palette is such good value for money, the blushes themselves are highly pigmented. I really cannot praise this product enough.

You can find them on eBay, but simply typing in '28 Blush Palette' to your search box.

Mind if I borrow your cape, Superman?

2011-07-26T18:07:00.001+01:00

I'd just like to let out a big, crazy, rather loud "WOOP WOOP!" right now.I've just finished my last day at work, and now have a very leisurely five days off.

What will I be up to I hear you ask?

Well, I have a lot of fun filled days planned ahead. I always begin with good intentions of documenting my fun with the aid of my camera, but sadly end up either; forgetting the camera, the battery, or even just to take photos in general.

I'd like to start with an addition of lifestyle posts on my blog. Including day trips I've had out etc. My blog is usually filled with all things beauty and fashion related - but, if you would like to see more things I've been up to. Just let me know in the comments below and hopefully I'll begin putting up the odd 'My Week in Photos' posts.

Cape - Primark
White graphic Tee - All Saints
Wet Look leggings - Topshop
Ring - H&M

On a very spontaneous shopping trip the other day with my sister, we popped into Primark so that she could grab some tights. You know the drill - you can't just nip into Primark without doing the obligatory 'Lap-Of-Honour' (as I like to call it). I had a little dash round, as it was intended to be a quick trip, and happily stumbled across the following cape.

Straight into the basket it went!

What are you lovely ladies up to over this week/weekend? Do you like the idea of seeing more lifestyle shots on my blog? If there is anything you would like to see more of, please feel free to comment below.

Have a lovely week!

YSL Arty Ring Lookalike

2011-07-18T21:01:00.000+01:00

For many months I have craved to own my very own YSL Arty Ring.

However, just the thought of parting with the extortionate price these beauties retail at, sent a shiver down my spine. So, I just merely continued ogling over photos of them on their website. *Big sigh*

But, alas! After a casual eBay search, I just so happened to stumble across this baby;

Practically identical to the YSL Arty Ring. The Brucey Bonus being that it cost me only a small fortune of £15.00.

If anybody is interested in buying themselves one, the eBay link is here.

I love it so so much!

BAD REVIEW: Garnier Summer Body

2011-07-16T15:44:00.000+01:00

I'm always on the look out for new fake tan products to try out, and when I stumbled across Garnier's Summer Body, I was really excited to try it out.

Summer Body is a gradual daily tanning lotion which builds up a natural looking tan. I have used gradual tanning lotions in the past, but have always been keeping my eye out for one which doesn't have that tell-tale 'biscuit' smell - which Summer Body doesn't! With Apricot extract, and a really fruity fragrance, I was really happy with my purchase.

I arrived home and after a shower that evening, I covered myself from head to toe in the product. I went to bed, only to wake up in the morning covered in the most horrific rash ever!

Never in my life have I had an allergic reaction to any product. My skin isn't sensitive or prone to break outs, so this rash was truly mortifying for me.
All of my face, neck, chest, arms, torso and legs were covered in what can only be described as wart-like itchy red bumps. It looked vile. The rash was itchy and sore, unlike anything I have ever had before in my life.
I immediately took some Piriton to help ease the itching, which didn't work.

I tweeted about my allergic reaction on Twitter, and received a huge response of people who have experienced the exact same thing, along with comments from girls saying they had complained to Gariner and their customer service had been shocking. Garnier had simply dismissed their complaints with comments along the lines of "It must be your skin that is super sensitive."
Erm, no Garnier, it must be your product, to say this many people have experienced the same thing as myself.

Even two weeks down the line, the rash still hasn't cleared up. I'm now left with dry patches of skin, that is peeling with open sores. I can't put anything on it to soothe it - even E45 cream makes it become angry again.

{Photos are taken 2 weeks after the usage of Garnier Summer Body}

As you can see it still looks horrendous.

I'm warning you all to STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT!

If this has happened to you, please state below in the comments as I shall be sending this link directly to Garnier via email. Thank you.

The Perfect Peachy Pout

2011-07-14T19:35:00.000+01:00

Being a beauty blogger, it's somewhat of a popular addiction when it comes to indulging in the latest lipstick.

There are many lipstick junkies amongst us bloggers - myself included! With a drawer full of nudes, pinks, corals and reds, I have been on the look out for the 'Perfect Peachy Pout' (as I have rightly named the title of this post).

Whilst in Newcastle on a recent Bloggers meet up, us girlies perused around the makeup counters like a pride of Lionesses prowling around their next prey. In bid to stumble across the Peach lipstick I have designed purely in my own mind. Every girl does it, right? Dreams up the perfect shade in their thoughts? Well, I most certainly do.

I finally caught sight of the YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick range, thank you to my lovely friend, Helen, who brought this beauty to my attention;

YSL Rouge Volupte - Peach Faubourg #30

This is the first, and probably only YSL lipstick I will invest in. Purely because of the whopping price of £22. Don't get me wrong - I love the colour and felt this was the reason I could justify spending this amount. I also think treating yourself every now and again is a good thing. But, I do think it is a hefty price for a lipstick alone.

I must say, my first YSL experience has been a very good one. Not only is the packaging and product amazing, and very expensive looking, the lipstick itself is fragranced with a melon scent. Pure delicious!

What do you girls think? Do you enjoy indulging in the more higher end brands? Or do you find them a waste of money? Or like me, do you occasionally like to treat yourself and have a healthy mix of higher and lower end brands?

I'd also love to also hear of any perfect peachy colours you've come across. One of my favourites is also MACs Shy Girl. A really lovely milky coral shade.

Maxin' and Relaxin'

2011-07-12T21:27:00.000+01:00

Whoops! It's been a while since I last did a blog post. I have been a little busy bee I'm afraid, some things good, some things not so good. But, I'm back with a new post for you all.

I'm really loving life in my new slimmer figure - and feeling much better about myself. I must admit, I've been really relaxed with food over the past few weeks and been working on maintaining my weight rather than losing weight.

I've had so many emails asking about my Food & Exercise diary, which I will be hopefully uploading for you all very soon.

In the meantime, here are a few photos of me sporting my very much loved maxi skirt.

Graphic Tee - Zara

Maxi Skirt - H&M Sale

Rings:

Red - H&M

Owl - Accessorize

Cross - ASOS

Scrabble ring - Handmade

Tooth necklace - Primark

Dictionary pendant - Made by me

How are all you girls? Have you got any holidays booked?

Newcastle Bloggers Meetup

2011-06-29T20:46:00.000+01:00

With the Sheffield Bloggers Weekend being so much fun back in March. We decided to hold another one. But, this time in good old Newcastle.

I've never been to Newcastle before, so I was really excited to have a night out in the Toon. I made some really great friends at the Sheffield meet up and we've stayed in touch. We were all reunited this weekend and had so much fun.

The obligatory group shot (minus all the late attendees)

L-R Emily , Emma , Taly , Nicole , Claire , Helen , Haidee , Bryden and last but not least.. little old me at the front!

As you can see, Helen was really excited about the weekend ahead!

Me just cuddling up to my pillow wrapped in a bin liner. Yeah! I'm so glam.

Matching nails. Feeling the love for Barry M Peach Melba.

Once we arrived at Newcastle, we all went for a few drinks, something to eat and a little shopping trip to the makeup counters. As you do!

I've really had to limit the night out photos as some were really not very Blogger-worthy. I'm sure you can gather it was a bit of a crazy night out!

What better to do on a lazy hungover Sunday? Sit on the floor. Yes, thats how we roll...

I had such an amazing weekend and I just want to say a big thank you to every single one of you girls for making it so crazy and so much fun!

My Dressing Table

2011-06-23T23:40:00.000+01:00

Large Black Mirror - B&M
No7 light up mirror - Boots
Cupcake Storage Drawers - WHSmiths
Glass bowls & beads - Hobby Craft
Black trinket box - A gift

I was inspired to do this post for myself after seeing the gorgeous Zoe's Dressing Table blog post. I love being nosey and taking a peek around other peoples bedrooms/vanity areas etc.

In my cupcake drawers, I store all of my makeup, it's actually really handy - although they're getting a little full now. I recently purchased the cute bowls for my makeup brushes also. I love how they're easily accessible and look pretty too!

I'd love to see your vanity areas too.

Weekend Beauty Haul

2011-06-11T18:05:00.000+01:00

It's very rare that I do haul posts, so I figured after todays little shopping trip, I'd conjure up this medley of photos to show you all what I purchased.

First of all, I've literally had a great day so far. I feel as though it's been really productive. Saturdays for me, usually consist of a nice snooze in until late morning before getting up and spending the day with friends. However today, I set my alarm clock so that I could get up bright and early at 7am and decided to make the most of my day. I took my car in to have the front tyres replaced before meeting my friend to go to see the first early morning showing of the Hangover Part II (second time I've seen it!), then grabbed some lunch before hitting the shops in search of my best friend's birthday present, my Dad's birthday/Fathers Day present, as well as other random shopping. I was home at 4pm! Go me!

Anyhoo, here's what I purchased today on my little beauty spree;

I got quite a few bits on offer or in deals, so I'll fill you in on those too.

Bodyshop had an offer on Body Butters and Body Scrubs. Any two for £15, so I picked up the Body Scrub in Coconut and the Body Butter in Strawberry. They both smell so delish! Two of my all time fave products.

Next up, Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on all skincare, body and bath products. So, i took full advantage of that!

**BOOTS 3 FOR 2 DEAL**

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream - £7.65

All the beauty community have been raving about this product, so this was a curious buy. I want to try it out for myself after hearing so many great things about it.

**BOOTS 3 FOR 2 DEAL**

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub - £9.00 (roughly)

Oh my goodness! This smells soooooo good. I want to eat it.

**BOOTS 3 FOR 2 DEAL**

Palmers Gradual Tanning Moisturiser - FREE (as part of the Boots deal)

In the past I've used Johnsons Holiday skin, but I've heard good things about this product, so I was keen to get my hands on it and give it a whirl for myself.

Body Shop Mini grooming kit - £5.00

How adorable is this little grooming kit. I'm always needing these items at the most random of times, so I bought this little kit to pop in my handbag in case of a beauty related emergency.

Barry M Nail Paint in Peach Melba - £2.95

Such a lovely cute colour. It's very 'shabby chic' and will look great with a tan. I'll hopefully post up a nails of the day photo for you at some point.

MAC Eyeshadow quad - £6.50

I have the large eyeshadow palette by MAC, but I've decided to buy this smaller one so that my eye shadows are easier to transport around with me. Especially great for when I go on holiday. I wouldn't want to take my big palette in fear of it smashing in my suitcase.

No7 Tinted Moisturiser in Medium/Fair - £12.00

I actually used a £5 off voucher that I had for this tinted moisturiser, so that was great news. I love No7 products and felt that this would be great for my holiday in September.

Directions Hair Paint pot in 'Poppy Red' - £3.99 each

I've recently used the colour 'Pillarbox Red' from the Directions range, and it looked lovely on my hair. I really want it brighter so a girl I know recommended I buy this one. I know my hair will never go bright red with the dark plummish colour I have on right now, but its great for brightening it up between full dyes.

And there you have it, my little shopping bundle. Hope you enjoyed! If you'd like me to do more hauls, just let me know.

Project Nail Art: Crazy Eyes

2011-05-25T19:54:00.000+01:00

As boredom strikes again, I find the time to whip out my nail art drawer, grab myself a cup of tea and get cracking at some nail decorating.

I'm constantly browsing Google images for inspiration, and stumbled across these adorable, yet cheeky nail designs. I can't decide whether they look more like M&Ms or PAC Man ghosts? I'll let you decide!

The colours I used were;

Brown = Barry M (cant remember the name)
Red = China Glaze High Maintenance
Orange = Sleek Florida
Blue = Barry M Cyan Blue
Green = Barry M Spring Green

In other news the Bank Holiday weekend is nearly upon us! I'm really going to miss these Bank Holidays - the next one isn't until the end of August. Is anybody up to anything nice? I have a few nice things planned...

On Saturday, myself and the girls are parading down to the travel agents and having a little nosey at some prices for Ibiza. We're going for Easter 2012 - it's 10months away, it isn't even booked and already I'm excited! Saturday night, the boyfriend and I are off to the cinema to divulge in yummy Ben & Jerry's whilst being entertained by 'The Hangover 2'. As soon as I saw the trailer for this movie I couldn't wait to see it. I love Alan - I wish I was part of his Wolf pack. On Sunday I'm spending the day with my boyfriend, before getting my glad rags on and hitting the town for cocktails with my two favourite girls. Monday should be somewhat of a hangover/feeling sorry for myself day. But, me and the boyfriend are heading out into the countryside to a lovely ice cream parlour. Mmmm. I'll hopefully put together some kind of weekend summary in photos for you all.

Have a lovely weekend!

DIY: Cross T-shirt

2011-05-23T19:42:00.000+01:00

In a couple of outfit posts back, I'm sure you will remember the DIY Cross T-shirt I was sporting? After discovering Penelope's blog, I was instantly inspired to re-create the safety in t-shirt. You should really check out her blog - she has amazing style!

Here I am sporting the said T-shirt;

On a boring lazy Sunday, I decided to get snip happy and funk up a little tee I had. I'm always buying Men's clothing to cut up and customise as most of you who have read my blog for a while will realise.

First of all, you'll need a plain black Men's round neck t-shirt.

I then simply cut the neck into a 'V' shape and cut off the sleeves to create a vest top.

Next you will need safety pins - I chose the medium sized ones. You'll probably need approximately 50 all together.

Find the center of the T-shirt after cutting, and use three safety pins to determine the top, middle and bottom of your first line of pins. This is so that your safety pin line wont be too wobbly. Once you have this, add all the other safety pins to form a line. Make sure all your safety pins are facing the same direction.

Next, clip in your side safety pins. Again, using the same method to remain as in line as you can.

Depending on how much material you put each safety pin through will determine how slanted the may fall as you wear it. I gave my pins a little space so that they can drop to their sides slightly.

And voila! There you have it;

A super-easy way to customise your t-shirts.

I hope you enjoyed this little pop of DIY, I'd love to be linked to any DIY projects you've carried out. Another couple of great DIY blogs are: Gem Fatale's Style Blog and Effie's Makeup Box.

NOTE: My poor, poor little computer has a nasty virus at the moment which has completely wiped my computer of all it's programs/documents etc. Which means I've lost all of my upcoming blog post photos, can't even use the Internet, and can barely switch it on. My computer is literally just an ornament sitting in my house with no purpose at the moment. Bad times.
So, I'm having to borrow my boyfriend's laptop as and when I can - so blog posts may be scarce until I get my computer fixed. I may just buy a laptop myself, I'm not sure yet. It's just rather annoying as you can imagine, so please bare with me. Thanks girls!

I'm walking on Sunshine!

2011-05-21T10:39:00.000+01:00

Last night, me and the boyfriend headed off to the Sheffield Arena to watch the funny man himself in the flesh, John Bishop doing his 'Sunshine' tour.

For those of you who are unsure to who John Bishop is, he's fairly new to the world of stand up comedy - but, the man is hilarious! So glad I applied an extra thick coating of waterproof mascara, as I was crying with laughter through most of it. He is amongst my favourite comedians, also including Michael McIntyre.

Here is the outfit I sported for the said event;

Distressed kaftan - Primark (beachwear section)

Makeup:

Mac Studio Fix Fluid - NW30

Lancome Concealer - Shade 2

MAC Blush - Style

Barry M Lipstick - Shade 54

Eyeshadow - Sleek Palette in Storm

False Eyelashes - eBay

Boots - A gift for Christmas a couple of years ago

I love the fact that this kaftan is so multi-purpose. I think it sits lovely when slipped over a vest for the day time. I also need to get myself a sunny summer holiday booked so I can team it with my bikini.

My Skincare Routine: Daily & Weekly

2011-05-16T09:55:00.000+01:00

As of late, I've had quite a few really lovely emails from you girls complimenting me about my skin, and asking about my skincare routine.

I thought I would construct a blog post for you all informing you on the products I use on a daily basis and also, the products I only use weekly. I don't like to go overboard with using too many products at once, as I feel the items I have do the job just fine.

Just a couple of tips before we get started;

The key to great skin is a lot to do with your diet, so I always ensure I consume between 6-8 glasses of water a day. I can notice a difference in my skin if I'm dehydrated - so make sure you're drinking lots of water.

I also think it's really important to remove your make-up at the end of every day/night (no matter how drunk you may be after a night out). I couldn't bear to go to bed with my makeup on, I love the be able to rub my eyes when I wake up first thing. Plus, you don't want icky mascara all over your pillow cases. Yuck.

PREVIOUS Daily Routine

1) Simple Moistursing Facial Wash
2) Simple Soothing Facal Toner
3) Avon Solutions Day Cream
4) Avon Solutions Night Cream

Weekly Routine

1) Dermalogics Nose Strips
2) Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish
3) TempleSpa Eye Makeup Remover
4) Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Scrub

CURRENT Daily Routine

The reason I have written 'Previous Daily Routine' above is because over the last week I have just treated myself to the Liz Earle:- Healthy Beautiful Skin Kit.

Liz Earle Healthy Beautiful Skin Kit - £28.10

This little kit is now my holy grail of skin care! Since receiving it in the post, I've used it twice a day and I'm in love! I've included my previous skincare routine as I thought you girls would also like to know. I've noticed a huge difference in my skin; my face looks brighter/more radiant, my pores aren't as clogged, & my skin feels smoother!

I can't rave about this Liz Earle set more. It is actually perfect and works so well with my skin.

Included in the set;
Cleanse & Polish
Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Skin Repair Moisturiser
Muslin Cloth

I highly recommend Liz Earle products and can honestly say they're my favourite skin products to date. For the bargain price of £28.10, you get the high quality products in a full set. I think it's brilliant! If you haven't already, I really think you should all treat yourselves to one of their products. You wont regret it!

I feel lucky like a four leaf clover

2011-05-14T18:28:00.000+01:00

Today, me and the bestie went to do a spot of shopping. I had a big splurge in Primark and practically bought all of the shop. Whoops!

Here's the ensemble I sported to do the said retail therapy;

Cross T-shirt - DIY Made by Me
Skirt - H&M
Socks - Primark
Jacket - Primark

In case you're wondering, I wore military boots on my feet and decided to go for the Rock-Chic look. I'm really pleased with how my DIY tee turned out. I'll be doing a post on how I made it very soon. I was inspired after seeing Penelope wearing hers. I urge you all to go check her out! Her blog is one I've just recently stumbled across and she very much deserves a lot of recognition - I think her blog is amazing!

Scrabble OMG necklace - DIY Made by Me
Domino Ring - DIY Made by Me (For sale here)

Hope that you're all having a lovely weekend!

Lipstick Haul

2011-05-05T21:25:00.000+01:00

I sure do love a good lipstick, or a few. Ahem. Last weekend, I went a little lipstick mad and ended up buying five at once. I couldn't settle on just one. So, I thought I'd show you my purchases. Lovely for the summer!

[L-R]: Barry M 100, Barry M 54, MUA Shade 4, MUA shade 3, Revlon Wild Orchid.

I don't really have much else to say other than.. Ahhhh pretty colours!

Project Nail Art: Icecream Sprinkles

2011-04-30T15:21:00.000+01:00

With the sunshine in the sky and the warm summer quickly approaching I figured the latest nail art post it very fitting. There's nothing I love more than an ice cream cone with lots of strawberry sauce and sprinkles on top in this gorgeous weather we've been having. So, I transferred the ice cream sprinkles on to my nails.

In other news, I hope you're all enjoying your extra long weekend: Round 2. I'd love to hear what you're all up to?

My MAC Makeover Experience

2011-04-24T16:25:00.001+01:00

If anybody asked me what my all time favourite makeup brand was, without hesitation, my answer would be MAC. I'm sure this is the case for a lot of fellow beauty bloggers.

I've always found MAC products really long lasting and love their ability to stay in place on your face. Not only have I always found MAC great quality, but I feel that their wide range of products caters for a variety of people and you will always find something that will suit different individuals. They're always bringing out their latest ranges and limited editions, so there is something new all the time!

Myself and Helen from Dirt Style headed to MAC on our day off to be made up by their artists.
The plan of action was to have our makeup done by the lovely staff at the local MAC counter. Neither of us had had our makeup done by MAC before, but with the great deal of £25 (which is redeemable against products), it was no wonder we jumped at the chance.

Before the beautifying commenced, Helen and I decided that we would stop off at Nandos first for some well-needed lunch.

My appointment was for 1:30pm and Helen's at 2:30pm. The staff were really friendly and helpful whilst recommending some great products for us. When asked how we wanted our makeup; I opted for a Goldish Metallic eyeshadow, whilst Helen decided to go for the Smokey Eyes.

Here is the finished product!

I'm really pleased how my makeup turned out. I'm such a little fuss pot when it comes to my makeup and rarely trust anybody other than myself to do it. I've had numerous amounts of makeovers in the past for photo shoots etc, and have always ended up doing my own makeup and not being happy with the final look. So, I was over the moon that I actually liked it. I put all my faith into MAC and they didn't let me down.

With my £25 worth of products, I ended up going a little over budget and decided to go for;

* Studio Fix Fluid NW20
* Studio Fix Fluid NW30
* False Eyelashes
* Lipstick - Up the Amp

If you have ever been for a makeover at MAC, I'd love to hear about your experiences! If you haven't been before, I highly recommend it!

Whats your favourite Scary Movie?

2011-04-23T18:23:00.000+01:00

Last Friday, me and a couple of my friends went to the cinema to see Scre4m. Being a really big fan of the movies, having watched them growing up - I really couldn't wait to see the fourth edition.

With all the original cast and 11years down the line, Scream 4 was brilliant! I was really pleased with how great it turned out. It kept all the typical 'Scream moments', adding quite a few bits of comedy too.

If you've seen the other movies, you must got and watch this one. It really over shone Scream 2 & 3 and was on par with the first film.

What outfit did I sport that night?

Blouse - Primark
Leggings - Topshop
Scarf - ASOS
Satchel - Primark

Clock Pendant - Dorothy Perkins
Glasses pendant - Made by Me
Domino Ring - Made by Me here
Gold ring - Primark

I also have a few other bits I'm selling in my online jewellery shop. Be sure to take a look!

And, on ending this post, I'd just like to ask all of you in my best 'ghost face' impersonation...
"What's your favourite Scary Movie?"

Updated Nail Varnish Storage

2011-04-14T17:41:00.000+01:00

I did a little post a while ago about the way I stored my nail varnish collection. However, a girls nail varnish collection is always ever-growing, and sooner or later, I had run out of space in my hand-painted chest. It was quite a shame, as I really adore this little chest. I love the vintage shabby chic feel it has to it.

Here is the old way I stored my nail varnishes;

The top section was used for my actual polishes, and the lower drawer for items such as nail files, cutters, cuticle sticks and nail art transfers.

Having nearly accumulated double the amount of polishes I had before, it dawned on me that I needed a much larger storage area.
And, so alas! Here is my new Nail Varnish storage system in all it's glory;

My collection is now situated in my vanity table drawer. I came across these simple plastic drawer dividers in a local shop, and figured that they would be perfect for organising my nail varnishes by colour. I've also kept a side space for all of my nail items including; nail varnish remover, files, cutters, cuticle sticks, cotton wool pads, nail art and hand sanitiser.

It feels so much more organised now. I can see exactly what colours I have rather than having to dig and route around in a very un-organised pile.

I'd love to see how you girls store your nail polishes.

How to: Tint your eyebrows at home

2011-04-11T18:08:00.000+01:00

Despite my natural hair colour being quite a dark brown, my body hair has always been very fair. This is a blessing in one way, but for my eyebrows, it's always been a curse. My hair colour at the moment is a deep plummish colour - which doesn't go very well with my blondish eyebrows. They can actually look non-existent! I'm forever having to darken them with eyebrow tints/pencils, you name it.

In my younger years, I stupidly over plucked them into oblivion - resulting with some very poor excuses for eyebrows. My poor little brows never fully recovered and now they really struggle to grow back fully.

With this all in mind, I was wondering how all you girls take care of your eyebrows?

Salon tinting can prove quite expensive when you're having to make regular trips. So, in this post I'm going to explain how I tiny my own eyebrows at home. If you have never tried this, it could be a great idea for you. I've used the Dylash kits before as I just don't feel they work as well as the products I'm currently using.

OK, so what you'll need is:

* Eyelash dye activating solution

* Eyelash Dye (I use 'brown')

* A very thin brush

* A small glass

Step 1:
Pour two drops of Eyelash Activating Solution into your small glass.

Step 2:
Then, add roughly a 2cm length of Eyelash Dye to your solution. This will make the perfect consistency for applying.

Step 3:
Using your brush, mix together the Dye and the Solution.

Step 4:
Using your brush, dip the end into the dye mixture and carefully apply to your eyebrow area. Making sure than you coat all of the hairs. Be very careful with a steady hand and try not to get any on your skin surrounding your eyebrows as this will stain. If you make any mistakes, wipe away with a cotton bud before the dye dries. I usually apply a thick coat to my eyebrows to make sure that I've covered each and every strand of hair.

Step 5:
Leave on for roughly 10minutes until the dye has dried.

Step 6:
Using a cotton pad soaked in eye make-up remover (or a baby wipe - whatever you choose), gently wipe away the remaining dye until your eyebrows are completely clean.

And voila! Home tinted eyebrows!

I hope this post has been helpful for any of you ladies who are wanting to give home tinting a try!

Summer Time is coming!

2011-04-09T10:40:00.000+01:00

How utterly stunning has the weather been these past couple of days? I'm completely embracing the sunshine at the moment. With this in mind, I'm taking the opportunity to sport my latest edition to my summer dress collection.

On a recent trip to Primark, my eyes instantly clocked this lovely striped number. Maxi dresses were all in last year, but this year I'm noticing that it's all about calf length skirts/dresses.

Dress - Primark

Belt - Zara

Denim Jacket - H&M

Satchel - Primark

Clock pendant - Dorothy Perkins

Today me, my summer dress and my best friend will be toddling out for a rendezvous at the local Sushi bar. I'm quite a n00b when it comes to sushi. I've always liked the idea of it, but have never been able to bring myself to grasp the concept of eating raw fish. However, I did try sushi not so long ago and have since acquired quite a taste for it.

After filling our tummies with sushi, we'll be off for a spot of retail therapy and hopefully enjoying some more of this lovely sunshine!

Hope all of you lovely ladies have a brilliant weekend filled with sunshine! Are you all up to anything exciting?

Wishlist: March Edition

2011-04-03T20:40:00.000+01:00

OMG T-shirt
I'm so upset that this is out of stock. I wanted it during my shopping ban and now that it's over, the tee is out of stock. Boo hoo. As soon as I saw this on the Topshop website, I needed it. How fitting for the world of internetz. Right?

Sigma Makeup Brushes
I've heard so, so many great things about Sigma makeup brushes, and how they're an amazing MAC dupe. I'd love to try them out at some point soon and will most definitely be ordering the full kit when I have some pennies to spare. Does anybody own any Sigma brushes? I'd love to hear more about them.

Barry M Nail Paint - Acid Yellow
Wowza! Isn't this just a 'smack-you-right-in-the-face-and-shout-about-it' kind of colour. OK, I understand that's not a great way to describe it - but, it's just amazingly loud. I love it! A must for the coming summer months.

Topshop socks
Everybody and their Grandmothers seem to be wearing over the knee socks in black these days (including myself). I'm really a fan of these lovely oatmeal ones from Topshop. They'd look lovely with pastel colours on a breezy day.

Tan brogues
I've been lusting after these babies for so long now. I think even before my shopping ban. Practical and easy to wear - they'll literally go with anything in my wardrobe!

PS. I've currently got a few items listing on eBay. If you would like to check them out, please click here. I really hope that you find something you like! I've listed a lot of great things for the upcoming summer months!