Boxing Day Beauty Picks

So its been... a while. I know there's no room for excuses but I've been beyond busy this holiday with family, so much so, I haven't even gotten round to doing an ounce of college work. There goes my fabulous mock results. 

Anyways, I wanted to quickly share the few beauty bits I picked up while doing my rounds on Boxing day. It's certainly not a lot, but my focus this year was to mainly update what was hanging in my wardrobe and so when it came round to beauty, my budget was pretty much blown. 

I did however find the No7 liners in boots hidden on the corner of the shelves, and it just so happened to the very last one. I couldn't really refuse and figured it was just plain fate. Swatching them, they seem to have a soft, creamy formula, so I'm looking forward to trying them out. 

Lastly, while queuing at the tills in Topshop, I found these gems at a wondrous price of £3 a piece. I've already tested these beauties out and they're amazing; quick to apply and will not budge!

I hope you all had a wonderful christmas but since its already New Years Eve, I wish you all a happy New year! 

NOTD #9 : Snowflake Nails

I know it's a little late but I wanted to quickly get this up before christmas day as it is, of course, the festive-y manicure I shall be sporting tomorrow. I decided on this design after watching a tutorial from the lovely MissJenFabulous on youtube so if you fancy re-creating this then simply click the link and have a whirl. 

Also, excuse the ratchet looking cuticles, my hands have been dry to no end and absolutely nothing has been working! 

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow! 

The Winter Lip Combination

So we all know everyone loves to sport the red lip, but because this season hasn't been the coldest of winters, I wanted to give RiRi Woo a bit of a warmer tone and a little extra dimension. 

THOUGHTS: Quick Fix Facials

My skin has been a wreck recently. To be honest, I have a feeling it has something to do with my lack of clean make up brushes, which I can't necessarily complain about seen as though it comes down to no ones fault but my lazy self. 

I've trailed through a fair few spot treatments and so I thought it was due time that I tried a face mask or two. 

Sleek Arrival at Boots!

I may be a tad late on the bandwagon but I was doing a little browsing on Boots (as per usual) and spotted Sleek on the 'New' tab! At this point, I certainly did little happy dance while sat on the sofa and received a few odd stares from Le Parents.

 It seems the prices are the same in both Boots and Superdrug and they are stocking everything Sleek has to offer. Now the only problem is, I have yet to see it in stores, so I'm hoping that shelves will be getting stocked up sometime soon as my nearest Superdug doesn't actually offer Sleek. I am definitely excited to be trying out more of the range as it will hopefully be more easily accessible!

Do comment below if you have spotted Sleek in your local Boots! 

NOTD #8 : Christmas Nails

I love love love doing christmasy nails, there's an array of iconic symbols that represent christmas, all of which can easily be transferred to a nail art form. I mostly get inspiration from various youtube clips and instagram pictures. 

This particular design simply needed dotting tools, masking tape and of course, nail polish. Dotting tools can be found on Amazon or Ebay for amazingly cheap prices. Alternatively, you can make do with a blunt pencil and tooth picks, both of which achieve the same result. 

Finally I used masking tape for the christmas tree to give a cleaner cut to the edges. 

I know I hardly posted all last week but I've been extremely busy trying to get all my work done and gather up the presents for family. I'm sure I will be back to updating every other day soon but for now, I hope you've all had a lovely christmas season so far! 

The Christmas Tag

Now Christmas would certainly not be christmas without a wondrously festive tag to go along with it and this year is by no means an exception. I've seen a few variations floating around and it seemed like these set of questions were the most fun and straight forward. 

The Winter Nude

Of course its natural to stray toward the darker tones this time of the year. So essentially, the same has to be said when it comes to the humble nude lipstick. We've also got to take into account the bitter weather conditions and with that come the products advertising hydration. Not quite the hefty criteria, but I find The Revlon Lip Butter in 'Pink Truffle' fits the bill just about right. 

The Sunday Edit #6

I'm well aware I haven't exactly been doing this on a weekly basis as promised but really, I had nothing to even blog about... unless you count lazing around and shopping somewhat interesting. I didn't really fancy turning your brains to mush with the lack of activity in my current routine. However, since its been a few weeks, I thought this post was due for an update. 

Lets Talk Nail Care

Nail polish has to be the very first beauty product I fell in love with, essentially introducing me to the world that is beauty. Now, I have slight confession to make... I used to bite my nails. Yep, ever heard of a nail addict that used to vigorously tear at her poor nails ... that was me. This was until I discovered nail art and all the wondrous colours that could adorn my fingers. Since then, I would say I keep my nails in quite a healthy condition and will always, and I mean always have polish on. 

Eyes Of The Day #3 : Smoked Taupe

A fairly simple look with the ever brilliant Naked Palette. It isn't necessarily for a special occasion but I fancied something a little more on the smokier side today. Using Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and on Bronze' as a base, I lightly washed 'Sidecar' over the top to create a more taupe-y lid. I then blended out any potential harsh lines on the upper lid using 'Naked' and deepened the crease/outer V using a mix of 'Smog' and 'Dark Horse'. I finally topped it off with lashings of mascara and my trusty lashes from Eylure in '020'.

Hope you all have a lovely friday! 

The Brows.

To me, brows make the face. They add structure, an extra dimension and if done right, can change the entire look. I'm sure you've seen images of celebrities photoshopped without eyebrows... not a pretty sight, right? Even the stunningly beautiful Mila Kunis looks a tad odd. That alone puts the brows at top priority and of high importance. If you ever have the misfortune of witnessing me make up free, I'm most certain the brows will still be in place. 

MONTHLY FAVOURITES: November

Cozying up on the couch with a lovingly warm cranberry and raspberry cuppa; racking my brain on how to introduce this post, I'm wondering how this year has flown by so quickly. It seems most unreal that the next time I'll be contemplating on how to start a monthly favourites post, christmas will have already been and gone. Crazy, I know. 

Right, enough with the deep thoughts. This month has been somewhat uneventful; a few shopping trips and the usual dinners out but nothing too extravagant. In terms of make up, I've been chopping and changing on a daily basis, desiring the vamped lip one day but a smoked eye the next. 

NOTD #7 : The Statement White

Barry M's - White (£2.99)

Just a sneakily quick post on whats been adorning my nails for the past week or so. White or so called 'tipp-ex' nails have been a lingering trend for quite some time and especially over the summer when complimenting our glowing tans that we worked oh so hard for. However, I find that this simply makes such an effortless statement, one in which typically takes no more than 5-10 minutes with 2 coats and fits both the warmer and cooler seasons. If I'm still lusting after a bold nail choice but am too damn lazy to get a little creative with nail art then this is what I tend to steer towards. Of course when it gets near to christmas then a few festive creations will be greeting these pages but for now, I think I'll be sticking with the lazily white offering. 

The Foundation Routine

Having a clear but still somewhat natural base has always been a slight goal. So through much experimentation and research ... on blogs of course; I have managed to round up and form a core collection of products that work for me and my skin type on an everyday basis. I can also happily add that all products are drugstore and so thankfully don't break the bank.

Eyes Of The Day #2 : Neutral

Its all about the vamped lip this fall and winter and so as a result, the rest of the face should be more on the neutral side. Most just add a touch of liner and mascara to the eyes when rocking a bold lip colour but I still quite like to define the crease a little just give my eyes a bit of definition and so as not to get too lost. 

These are the lashes I wear on a daily basis, I've said many a time that my natural lashes are practically none existent and so need an extra little boost. I will also forever be in love with the Beige Rimmel liner, it simply turns my 'slept for 3 hours due to youtube' look into 'I just had 10 hours beauty sleep' chic.

The Empties Post #1

So Ive recently been ploughing through a few products and the bottles have been cluttering the bathroom shelves. Before chucking them away, I thought it was due time for an empties post. I find that an Empties post provides a more concrete opinion on a product as you've experienced the formula at its full potential and hopefully noticed the supposed benefits.

'Pretty In Pink' Lip Combination

Pink isn't a colour we typically associate with fall and winter, but the likes of Marc Jacobs and Paul Smith turned heads on the runway at fashion week when collections were attired with anything from edgy metallic pieces to tailored rosy hues. Though I do like to test my comfort zones often, I highly doubt you'll find me sporting an all pink get up this season. However, Make up is an aspect I can easily change up on a daily basis and so pink lips were clearly the way to go.

THOUGHTS: BourJois Happy Light Primer

This was another new released base purchased in the ever adored 3 for 2 Boots Offer. I am constantly on the look out for a high performing budget primer that will keep the oils at bay. So when drugstore brands release their own version I'm always eager to give it ago in a hopes that eventually one will tick all the boxes. I've read the odd post on this just before the public could get their hands on them but once entering stores, it hasn't received much hype. 

The Sunday Edit #5

The autumnal view outside my window 

excuse the ratchet Starbucks image

So this past week or so has been a tad manic, what with the whole sh'bang on the 'supposed' Naked 3 palette, questionable release dates and such other rumours. I didn't fancy doing a separate post regarding that issue as i'm sure every other blogger and their dog have raised the same speculation but if you've been living under a rock then Urban Decay have created a 5th edition to the Naked palette collection and is rumoured to be releasing just after christmas. 

Moving on, earlier this week I finally booked the long awaited Zante holiday with my friends, which I'm ecstatic about! I know its not going to be the most classiest of holidays and odds are, we are most definitely going to be losing someone along the way and I'll be needing the largest detox of my life when I return. However, Ive simply made the excuse that its just one of those things every teenager has to experience at some point. 

Finally, I did a little shopping with a few friends and unfortunately discovered that my beloved pumpkin spice latte is but a mere memory until next year *sighs*. So I thought I would settle for a new seasonal release, gingerbread latte. It tasted nice but the smell was... interesting to say the least. I do apologise for the ratchet image of my Starbucks cup but we were in such a rush and I needed to capture the fact that the cups now bear that festive red design as they do every year at christmas. 

So there's my uninteresting week, hope yours have been slightly more exciting! 

THOUGHTS: L'Oréal Nude Magique Foundation

The Boots 3 for 2 offer lured me in as always and this time around, I decided to try out a few new released bases. There have been a few whispers on this particular release but all were fairly positive and the concept of a 'fresh feel foundation' and 'weightless perfection' definitely intrigued me enough to give it a go.

Nails: A Touch Of Glitter

Generally, I love a good glittering set of nails through all seasons but I feel that christmas makes it slightly more acceptable to go overboard. Glitter top coats are a super quick and easy way to spice up an everyday shade, either as a full set or a more elegant accent nail. Here are just a few that are going to be tickling my fancy this festive season. 

The Sunday Edit #4

I wouldn't really class my self as much of a movie fanatic and to be honest, tend to stick to the Romantic comedy genres. However, because my dad is the biggest movie geek out there, I usually get dragged out to see all the latest blockbusters. Suffice to say, I'm now quite the Marvels fan! My dad has had Gravity in IMAX booked for about a month so he was bouncing off the walls when this saturday finally came around. Of course, I rarely appreciate all the graphics and special effects that go into creating movies, but my dad filled me in and told me that everything apart from their faces were computer animated. To sum it all up, I was really impressed with the whole thing and really recommend the watch! 

 I finally got my hands on a winter coat this weekend. I really just needed a piece that I could throw on over anything without having to worry about a clashing issue. Ideally, I also wanted it to be a tad more figure hugging and not make me look like a walking talking marshmallow, though that would be quite amusing. So that came down to a simple black trench with leather panelling which makes it slightly more interesting and gives it an edge. I'm happy to say it was a real bargain at £50 in the sale, which I'm amazed at! Surprisingly, this is in fact a size 10, and with me being a size 6-8 you'd think it would drown me but it actually fits quite well! In the image above, I actually have a pajamas top on so excuse the peep of pink. 

Lastly, in the midst of writing this post, my mother decided to take me on a Boots run... it was inevitable that I would pick up a few beauty bits so I may do a mini haul or if not, reviews will be popping up some time soon. 

Hope you've all had a nice week! 

HOW TO: Remove Glitter Polish

We all like to jazz up our nails with a sprinkle of glitter from time to time, but I'm sure we can all agree that trying to remove this creation is most certainly a laborious task. Being a slight nail addict with little time, I wanted to find a technique that would make this horrific job a little more effortless. 

NOTD #6 : The Christmas Red

In my eyes, when Halloween has been and gone, Christmas comes rolling right in, dragging behind it the overly large winter wear and festive feeling. I absolutely love every aspect of christmas and though I hate to say it, would be nothing without the frosted weather conditions.

Yet Another Pink?

'Hot Gossip' - £15

I know what you're thinking.. did she really just buy another MAC lipstick? Well I'm proud to say this product is in fact a 'shopped my stash' shade. I've had this lurking in the bottoms of my storage for about 6 months and was, I'm sure used just once straight after purchase. 'Hot Gossip' isn't really a so called 'blogger favourite', neither is it a rather unique or stand off shade. In fact, I don't think I've heard anyone even whisper this name. So I must admit, this lipstick was sort of a half hearted purchase but boy am I glad I did.