January & February Favourites

 

Gorilla Pod
I've wanted one of these for the longest time & I finally found the perfect one. Look how adorable it is! & of course, it's pink. I can't wait to pair this with my camera & start vlogging!

Primark Black Boots

Ah these boots. What can I say other than I'm in love. Can you be in love with a boot? I believe you can. I managed to pick this gorgeous pair up in the sale last month for £10! They are the perfect every day boot & the heel is the ideal size for me. I always go for boots with a heel as I'm quite short but finding the right size is always a problem, especially when I need to wear them for 9 hour shifts at work. I'd highly recommend going into Primark when they have a sale, you can find some gems! I even saw some boots that had been knocked down to £5!

Sony HX60 Cyber Shot Camera

 Ok, so I've wanted a new camera for a while now & when I finally decided to go & buy my new laptop, I ended up picking up this camera. (still annoyed the laptop wasn't in stock & I still can't order it online, but that's another story.. back to the camera) I've been having a play around with it for a week or so & am completely in love. I've started doing a bit of vlogging (YouTube link here if you're interested) & thought this camera would be perfect for capturing those special moments.

 

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss

I was lucky enough to receive my first lip gloss from the Tanya Burr collection for my birthday last month & literally haven't taken it off my lips! I reviewed the shade Berry Picking here if you'd like a read. Since then, I've picked up two more shades because I loved the formula so much! I decided to try a bright red, called Let's Travel The World & a light pink shade called Picnic In The Park to go along side the dark red I was gifted. I'd strongly recommend trying these lip glosses. I'm a lipstick fan through & through & haven't bought a lip gloss in years, but these have encouraged me to try some more!

 

Blending Brush

This brush has been my ultimate find this month. I was sorting out my makeup & found it in a set I must have received a few years back as a gift. It perfectly blends out my eyeshadows & gets rid of all the harsh lines. I can't imagine my makeup routine without it now! I'm sorry I couldn't find a direct link for it, but I found some good quality ones on Ebay.

 

Eccolo Notebook
Everytime I pick up this notebook, I burst into song. I'M SOOOO FAAAANCY! But seriously, isn't it just the cutest? I picked it up in TK Maxx, they always have the most amazing books & stationary. I could happily live in that shop. Only problem is, now I've collected all these beautiful notepads & diaries, what do I write in them..?

Soap & Glory Body Scrub

This scrub has been one of my favourites for the longest time, but I've really enjoyed using it throughout this past month. I'm a massive fan of Soap & Glory products, they just smell incredible! I'd strongly advise trying their products if you haven't already done so. This scrub just leaves my skin feeling so refreshed. I do tend to use it as a facial scrub once or twice a week & I love the way it leaves my skin so soft.

Events

Let's start with James' 22nd birthday as that is conveniently on 1st January. We went bowling & had dinner at TGI Fridays which I'd never been to before. It was so delicious!

I turned 25 on 16th January & planned a Disney party. I'd been organising the venue, food, decorations etc since the middle of last year so when it finally came together it was so amazing. It really was one of the best birthdays I've had & I got to wear a princess dress all night! What could be better!

At the end of January I went to see James in Gloucester & we realised it's one of the last times I will be going up. It's amazing to think he'll be finishing uni in a few months time & we'll be looking for a house together. Scaaaaary!

February has been a lovely month for celebrations. First of all, James was home for Valentines so we got to spend the weekend together with lots of food & films. One of the most exciting things to happen was after 15 years, James' dad & partner Maria got engaged! We were so excited for the news & can't wait to hear all about the wedding plans!

What have you loved these last two months?

Hope you've all had a lovely 2016 so far! : )

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Makeup Revolution Salvation Palette - Girls On Film

Hello lovelies!

 

I wanted to blog about this beautiful palette I received for my birthday (thanks Cathy!) It's called the Revolution Salvation Palette, Girls On Film.

 

There are 18 beautiful shades in this palette, 6 matte & 12 shimmer.

 

I've been testing out different combinations of this palette & have to say I'm in love. They are very highly pigmented & will last the duration of the day (as long as you have a base on your eye lid) otherwise the darker shades can end up creasing.

 

My favourite shades are Heads Turning, Lights Flashing, Frenzy All Down Your Spine, Take Your Picture & Polaroid Heaven.

 

What I love most about this palette is it's prefect for any time of day. If you want a natural day time look, the lighter matte shades are ideal; Shooting Star & One In A Million are my favourites for this.

 

For an evening look, you can create a smoky eye. Made A Million & Hold Tight create a darker look with a hint of shimmer.

 

I really want to get my hands on the Waiting Palette now it's back in stock, it has some really beautiful shades!

 

I have to say Revolution are slowly becoming one of my favourite drugstore brands - the products are such amazing value. Have you tried anything from Revolution? : )

 

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Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm - Coquette

Hello lovelies,

I was lucky enough to receive some beauty bits for Christmas, one being this gorgeous lip balm from Revlon. I'm a massive fan of the brand, so was extremely excited to try it.

I received the shade Coquette, which is a stunning pale pink. I do tend to wear pink all year round, but I think it would be perfect for Spring time.

It applied really smoothly onto my lips & felt very light-weight. One of the main features of this balm is the fact it has shea, mango & coconut butter in it's formula, making it very moisturizing on the lips. I found it also had a shimmer to it once applied, which I'm not a massive fan of, but I much prefer that to a matte lipstick.

The best thing about this product is it's retractable & you won't need to use a sharpener once the product has been used. I absolutely despise products where I have to sharpen them. Call me lazy, but it's so much easier when you can access the lip balm by twisting the base.

The lip balm doesn't have the greatest staying power & I did have to re-apply it every 2 hours or so to keep the pink from fading on my lips, however, I was drinking & talking all day, so that's to be expected!

I'll definitely be looking in drugstores to try out a few more shades as the darker pinks are calling my name!

Have you tried the Revlon Lip Balms? What did you think? : )

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Life Lately #98

 

Hey lovelies,

 

Did anyone else get majorly excited about Nutella Day? I absolutely love Nutella & Pinterest really didn't help my cravings as it sent through an email full of delicious recipes. Fortunately, I remembered I had a Mug Cake recipe book sitting on my book shelf at home, so texted mum to pick up the ingredients as she was luckily going to Tesco that day & we made the most delicious mug cake after work. Even Honey was tempted to try some..

 

Oh goodness, then came pancake day. Do I ever do an update post without food? No is definitely the answer. Mum loves lemon & sugar, while I'm a Nutella, strawberry & banana girl. What is your favourite thing to have on pancakes?

 

You'll see these amazing boots featured in my favourites this month for sure, aren't they just perfect? They were in the Primark sale for £10. I just couldn't believe my luck!

 

I've had this weekend off work (well, starting Friday as I was ill on Thursday) I decided to cheer myself up by making some cakes. These were the perfect chocolate delight to have. They were so nice as a cheeky treat throughout the day!

 

James came home this week for half term, so we got to celebrate Valentines together. He ran me the pinkest of baths, followed by ordering a Chinese takeaway & then we set up my pink chocolate fondue machine. It was heaven.

 

& finally, let me introduce you to the new love of my life, my camera. It's the Sony HX60 Cyber shot. I've been thinking about getting a new camera for a while now, as I'm loving doing a bit of vlogging & I've always loved taking photos.

 

How was your Valentines Day lovelies? Have you treated yourself to anything nice recently?

 

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The Perfect Date

Hello lovelies!

Seeing as it's coming up to Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share with you a few date ideas. Obviously these can be done on any day of the year (& you should definitely make time to date your other half, regardless of if your married or not!) Last year I gave James a "date jar" which contained random date ideas, like the ones I've listed below, written on tiny scraps of paper & every time we struggle to think of something to do together, this lucky dip manages to give us a few ideas. You can either make one yourself or there are some extremely cute ones already made online you can purchase for less than £15! Totally adorable.

So here are my suggestions to help inspire you & your other half.

1. Bake together

I absolutely love baking (when I say baking, I mean buying those pre-made cake boxes from Tesco & adding eggs & water..) I really can't cook to save my life, however, nothing beats a fun day making cakes & covering the other person in flour! You could also try making a mug cake, they are so easy to do & don't take hardly any time to prepare. I got this one for Christmas a few years back & swear by it for all the best recipes. There's even a chocolate section!

2. Go out for the day

Depending if the weather is on your side, you could go to the beach or to a local park. If not, there is always tea rooms or cafes. There are so many beautiful places to explore, usually not far from where you live.

3. Watch films / TV

If you're feeling a lazy day, nothing beats watching films, snuggled up on the sofa. If you're looking for a romantic tear jerker, I'd recommend anything based on the novels by Nicholas Sparks. A Walk To Remember, The Notebook & The Longest Ride are some of my favourites. If not, why not start a new series. James has recently got me to watch The Walking Dead (not very romantic but seriously addictive!)  

4. Go to the cinema

Although I work at a cinema / theatre, I love going to see films. I'm really keen to see The Choice (by Nicholas Sparks!) & if you're looking for comedy, How To Be Single looks so funny, especially as Rebel Wilson is in it!

5. Go out for dinner
I'd advise booking this ASAP as I know places get so booked in advance for Valentines Day. Treat your other half to dinner at their favourite restaurant, or maybe try one you've both never been to before.

6. Cook dinner

If your feeling creative (& maybe a little strapped for cash) why not trying making a meal at home for your other half. James has done this for me before & it was the most romantic thing ever. He told me to leave the house for two hours before dinner was being prepared & I went & got ready at my parent's house. I arrived to find candles, wine & dinner & it was the loveliest thing ever.

7. Go for a bike / car ride & picnic
Now this again depends on the weather & if you own bikes / cars! One of mine & James' first dates was a picnic in the car after a drive to the seafront. It was perfect.

8. Go for a walk
I love walks, there's something so peaceful about them. I'm lucky enough to live in the countryside so I can literally step out my front door & be greeted by fields, woods & endless paths to choose from. Why not take a camera & capture a few snaps together.

9. Make a photo album
Ah now this is something I'm hoping James & I will be doing together! We got a photo album for Christmas & have been waiting for a day to just go through all our pictures & pick some out for the album. Like most people our age, we take photos all the time, but hardly have any printed off.

10. Plan an adventure
Writing 'plan an adventure' reminds me of Up, love that film! But seriously, I have so many places I want to go & things I want to do this year, planning is my favourite thing at the moment & what better way to do it than with someone else who shares your excitement.

What are you planning on doing this Valentines Day? I hope this post gave you some inspiration : )

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What I've Been Wearing On My Nails #29

 

 

Barry M - Red & Collection - Glitter

These were my Christmas Day nails! They bring back so many lovely memories from that day (can you believe Christmas was over a month ago?!) I used a glitter top coat over this beautiful bright red from Barry M. It's one of my favourites.

 

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy - Get Lucky

I was lucky enough to receive this polish for Christmas & I'm currently loving the gel effect brands are starting to release. It really does make such a difference, just look how shiny my nails are! This has become one of my favourite reds in my collection.

 

Ciate - Pecan Pie

I was extremely happy when I opened up the Ciate Calendar on Christmas day & this was one of the polishes inside. I've never worn brown on my nails before, but there was something about this varnish that lured me in. It has a very subtle gold sparkle running through it, which is beautiful when it catches the light.

 

Ciate - Encore!

Another stunning shade from my calendar. This one is a slightly orangy red (makes a change as I've been wearing red constantly this month as you can see) I owned a few Ciate polishes before these & loved them, but now they are definitely one of my favourite brands. The nail varnishes are always so beautiful & last for ages on the nails.

 

What have you been wearing on your nails in January? Hope this gives you some inspiration for Valentines Day : )

 

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Life Lately #97

 

Hello lovelies,

 

Just look at that view! This is one of my favourite places I've discovered in my local area recently. It's a small café that looks out onto a lake, you can hire out a cabin for the night or take a rod & flask down & go fishing for the day. Myself & Ricka met up for lunch there & we can't wait to head back in the Summer. They have decking that goes around the edge of the lake, so it'll be perfect for those warm Summer nights with a glass of wine!

 

I've been massively sorting my makeup / clothes / life out this month. (If you want to see a review of the Tanya Burr lip gloss, you can view it here) I managed to have a clear out of all my makeup last week & today I'm sorting my wardrobe. It's actually ridiculous how many clothes I own but don't wear anymore..

 

Last Wednesday I travelled up to Gloucester to see James. We had a lovely long weekend together, filled with food & watching The Walking Dead. It scares me & I spend most of the time hiding behind James or a cushion, but it's slightly addictive as well.. (don't tell him I said that!) We took a trip to town on Friday & went to Nandos (thanks Auntie Jules for our voucher!) & managed to see a few of James' friends at the pub Thursday night.

 

I headed home yesterday & got ready to go out for Kym's birthday meal at TGI Fridays. I managed to squeeze myself into a skirt I no longer thought would fit (yay me!) & headed out to dinner. We had the most delicious meal, burger & chips for me followed by brownies & then headed home. I love catching up with my tea ladies, they always have so many stories to tell.

 

& finally, as well as clearing out my wardrobe, today I'm going to relax. I've had a total of 6 days off work & I've really needed it. I've put myself under a lot of pressure recently to work every shift available & with the looming feeling of knowing I'm going to be making the biggest purchase of my life soon (can read more about my thoughts here if you like) I've completely worn myself out, so much so, it's been dragging me down. I do need to remember to take time out from the business of day to day life & just relax & take time for me. I'm one of those people who just wouldn't function without taking a moment or two to reflect.

 

How was January for you lovelies? Here's to a wonderful February! : )

 

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