Avon Haul #2

So since I have the time to actually sit down and write up a few future blog posts I thought I would assess what has been popular with you, my audience as I like you to enjoy my posts and I like to see when my posts are well received. I have notices that one of my most popular posts was one of my very first! I was so surprised to see how many people have read my first even haul post and as I'm sure your aware from the title, I'm here to give you another one! I thought since I had recently made an order that I would share it with you and my initial thoughts on the products too!

I only picked up a few items, as I generally tend to from Avon, but, as usual, I am pleased with the ones I picked. 
I have really got into face masks at the moment as I mentioned in my May favourites post here, ever since using the Soap&Glory No Clogs Allowed mask. So when I saw this Black Mineral Mask I was curious to give it a go; for some reason I've always been a bit interested in charcoal masks and treatments as they seem very strange to me however I can see how it could be effective. This says that the active ingredient is Salicylic Acid, which I know is good for your skin and after having looked it up has plenty of good effects! So I'm excited to try this out and get back to you about the results! I got this for £2.50 so bargain! However this may have been a discounted offer at the time.

Next I picked up a few things from the sale booklet in the catalogue, firstly I picked up an eyeliner brush as my one is the one that came free with Maybelline's gel liner, so I thought it was time to invest in a proper one. So when I saw this one for £1.25 in the sale I knew I just had to snap it up, I was so pleasantly surprised to find out how soft it is and that it is very thin therefore allows you to get a precise line, so it was definitely worth the buy. 

I also picked up a shadow pencil from the sales in the shade Pink Diamond, this is a really smooth formula that doesn't drag on the skin, I can't comment on wear time yet as I haven't worn it however if you would like a full review let me know below in the comments. It is a lovely shade and will look nice as a highlight colour or even a very nude-y summer look all over the lid.

L-R: Pink Diamond, Blonde

Finally I picked up their Perfect Eyebrow Kit in Blonde as I wanted to try out some different brow products and see how they work for me. Being blonde it is very hard to find brow products that are the right colour and not too orange-y and blatantly not real. I like to keep my brows subtle and natural looking so I thought that a powder would do this. I have tried it out once and wasn't so sure on it, I think it is slightly too orange however I am going to try it again and see if I can find a method that can give me a lighter colour. The good thing about Avon is that if you are really unhappy with a product the will take it back, even used, for absolutely free! So if I can't make this work I might take it back and pursue the search elsewhere. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing this little haul, I have grown very fond of Avon again and am friends with the provider near me so you may see some more of these hauls soon. Let me know if you would like to see that :)

Love,

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#2014BloggerChallenge Topic Eleven Collections

So I had a few ideas of what I could've done for this topic, I was thinking about the generic makeup collection however mine is such a mess at the moment that I thought I would leave it until it's organised and how I want it to be. So I thought I would go onto one other thing that I love to collect, and if you know me then it's an obvious one. Books.

I am a self-confessed hoarder, yes I know, but one thing I adore to collect is books. Geeky, yes, but I genuinely love everything about them, even in a weird way. My dream would be when I'm older, to have a big enough house to be able to have my own little library. I love everything about books, the look, the smell (don't judge me, book lovers will understand) and the variety! I have a special passion however for classics and old books. So I thought I would share today a small part of my collection that is quite special to me.

A couple of years ago my great-grandmother passed away sadly, however she too was a book lover and had piles and piles of books left behind. In one house during her lifetime she actually had a small room converted to a library for her! (jealous much) So anyway, I was given a few books from her collection and some of which I have wanted for so long! But my favourite of the bunch is this little box set of Jane Austen.

First of all they are so stunning to look at! They look so great in the box and then each book individually has this gorgeous red and white leaf print on the covers, which I think is so individual. They also have gold blocking titles on the spines which are debossed. They are all hard back, meaning they are great quality and I don't even think she got around to reading them, as they feel brand new and the spines are unbroken. Like me I think my great-grannie was a bit of a book hoarder and just bought them because they were a nice set to have. However I much appreciate them and cannot wait to read them all as they are such classics that everyone should experience.
They also have amazing little prints throughout the books, which I thought was a nice addition to the story. 

Over all I am basically a nerd who likes nothing more than to sit in her room on her bed reading all day long. If only I had more time to do it! So I hope you liked seeing a different kind of post from me today and that you got to see a bit of a different side to me. 

I'll see you soon for more weekday posts :)

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May Favourites

Sorry guys but this post is going to have to be short and sweet this month as I have a Law exam tomorrow and I am waay behind on revision! Ahhh, stressing! 

So I have been loving brown eyeliner over black this month and the combination of these two together has really won me over! I don't think I'll be getting out my black liquid eyeliner any time soon! The only issue is these are a lot harder to get off at the end of the day, however making up for that is that these last a LOT longer than any liquid liner has on me, so no smudgey patchy makeup for me! I have also been putting a bit more effort into wearing a base shadow or cream shadow under the brown liner just to add a bit more depth, This Maybelline one is so quick and easy and really pretty too! 

I will hopefully be coming back with a full review of S&G's No Clogs Allowed face mask so I won''t say much right now, all that I will say is that it has converted me! I used to hate face masks and think they were such a faff! But now I'm really intrigued to try out more. 

Lastly, I saw this lipstick mentioned by FleurDeForce as one of her all time go-to's and I was really interested to try it out as it isn't a shade that I would personally pick up. However I am soo pleased I did as I love it! It's perfect to use everyday and really goes well with the brown eyes that I have been wearing recently.

So that's all I have time for I promise, I'll be back in a few days for another post, tomorrow is my last exam so I'll be free again to blog as much as I like!

Hope everyone's exams have gone well and good luck to anyone who has anymore!

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Summer Makeup Wishlist

As I said in my previous post I am doing a second summer wishlist however this time for makeup! I tend to only buy drugstore brands as a usual as I can't afford to splash out on expensive makeup too often. However I still like to look at the high end stuff and see what there is for me to save up for; so I have done two different wishlists, one for high end and one for drugstore. 

Drugstore

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

I really want to go for the fresh faced look this summer, with a light base and nice highlighted cheeks. I've never really used highlighter before but I thought when better to try it out than in summer! I love the look of No7's Bronzing highlighter(5) as it looks perfect for summer, giving some colour as well as a nice natural sheen. I've also heard a lot of good things about S&G's Glow All Out highlighter(2) and MUA's(7) offering for only £3!! I'm also getting into doing my eyebrows a bit more and have heard lots about the Anastasia Brow Wiz however I'm not sure I want to invest all that money into something I potentially don't need, however when I saw Sleek's dupe I thought it would be perfect to try out.

Highend

1/2/3/4/5/6/7

As I said before I wanted to go a bit lighter on the makeup front this summer and the sheer candy version of YSL's Rouge Volupte look like they would give a gorgeous pop of colout however only a tint allowing for it to look natural and glossy. However saying that I am still lured in by the originals and this has to be one high end product that I have lusted over the longest! I am determined that I will get my mits on one soon! Also ever since I wrote my Clarins Opalesence post here I have been drooling over the stunning packaging and the oh-so-pretty product inside this powder compact (3) and also the cream blushes in the collection. *hint hint I think cream blushes will be big for me this summer* This Marc Jacobs Lolita palette (6) has been on a mental to-get list for agess! It is so so pretty and sleek and just perfect, however it is also rather out of my price range, which pains me greatly. And lastly, although I cheated slightly and a brush isn't makeup, it is still related and ever since I saw Vivianna from VDM use this brush I have needed it in my life! It looks like the most perfect all rounder brush that will do anything and I just need one of those in my life-or should I say in my brush pot.

So there you go! My summer wishlists all wrapped up, I hope you got some inspiration from these and feel free to let me know if you have any or are lusting after any of these too. 

What have you been wishing for this summer season? 

Love, 

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Summer Fashion Wishlist

I thought since I hadn't done a wishlist in a while and since I've been longing after so many things recently, that I would do two wishlists: Summer Fashion and Summer Makeup.

First up is the fashion one. Right now I think that a lot of the high street shops have really got it bang on with the new trends and affordability factors! Just to name a few that I have been loving; River Island always have something that I love, I walk in and just want everything! (as you will see in a minute!), New Look have really done well this season, recently I had gone off NL and thought the clothes were all a bit tacky and lack lustre however they really have turned it around for Spring/Summer! 

Anyway onto what I have been especially loving lately!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

There is quite a mix of different shops in this wishlist, I really think the highstreet shops have hit the trends really well and made it so easy for you to adapt the latest into your wardrobe. I especially love the lemon skort from Topshop, I think it's so cute and fresh, the colours are really simple and love amazing on the shape of the skort. I also really want this bag! It's so boho and would be amazing for a festival or trips to the beach this summer.

I've gone on a jacket craze lately, ever since I bought the bomber jacket featured in this OOTD, I've been searching for more and more. And I've really gone crazy for the statement jackets that have a lot of colour and print, so obviously this jacket above drew me in immediately! I adore the mix of prints and colours and think it would be lovely for summer evenings just when it's getting chilly. 

Like I said at the beginning of the post I have really been loving River Island, and when I was browsing through the shoes section I just couldn't not share more than two! So I had to create a whole collage of their own.

I just wish I had more excuses to wear heels in everyday life! (although my feet probably wouldn't feel the same) I think RI do amazingly shoe-wise, from sandal to heels, there is so much variety and choice, granted they can be quite expensive for those of us who are students and have other priorities, but the quality really does show and they last a decent amount of time for the money.

I love the black lace up sandals (7) and the camel boots with the tassle (6), however I can't deny my insatiable (and ridiculous) need for heels of all kinds! Go knows why because I rarely have the chance to wear heels and don't go anywhere nice enough for them to be worth spending silly amounts of money on them, but there you go! It's a girl thing I'm sure. I was especially drawn the the blue faux croc sandal heels (5) which I was surprised as I don't usually go for animal skin textures. 

So there is the first of two wishlists for the summer season! The other will be along shortly, I hope you got some inspiration from these and let me know if you like any of these too!

Have you been liking the highstreet trends lately? Which is your favourite to shop at?

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Makeup Revoltion Haul + First Impressions

Finally I can say I am back for good, I only have one exam left and then I am totally finished with my AS year! You have no idea how relieving it is to say that. It's actually crazy how much I've missed being able to post, plan posts, write posts, research for posts; everything about blogging I have missed! I didn't quite realise how big a part of my life this blog has become and how much I love everything about it. 

So now that I'm back, I'm excited to bring you a little haul I did a while ago now! I will follow it up with some more in depth reviews soon, so let me know if you are particularly interested in any of the products! 

Recently a lot, I mean a LOT, of people have been raving about Makeup Revolution and about how they are the new and improved MUA; I was interested to find out for myself so I placed an order on Superdrug and this is what I got. 

Iconic 1 & 2 palettes, Single eyeshadows in Blackheart and Hung up, Lipstick in Reckless

I picked the two palettes as I just can't afford the Urban Decay Naked Palettes and these looked like really good dupes! I was sad to see that the Naked 3 dupe was sold out however I plan to get my hands on it ASAP! I also picked up two single shadows as I was curious to see the difference in quality between the palettes and these as I know in MUA there is quite a big difference. I also picked up a lipstick out of pure curiosity. I initially thought this brand was going to be a lot like MUA as the packaging shapes and looks are very similar (especially the single eyeshadows, they look like the blush packaging from MUA don't you think?) however I definitely think this brand tops MUA on quality for money from my first impressions of these products.

So above is the 'Iconic 1' palette which is a dupe for the Naked 1 palette. I have to say from pictures and other people's comparison swatches it is very very similar shade-wise, which I was happy about obviously! My initial impressions when I took this and the other palette out of the packaging was that I'd made a mistake and had ordered two of the same palette! However now that I've swatched them and had them a bit longer I can definitely tell the difference! This has a lot darker shades that the 'Iconic 2', and has much deeper browns. My first impressions of the packaging was that it was very sturdy feeling however not too heavy; I was also pleasantly surprised to see how much product you actually get in the pan! Each shadow is much bigger than in the MUA palettes, even though they are different shapes I would definitely say this is a better bargain at the same price.  With my first impressions of the actual shadows I was blown away, although the lighter shades aren't amazingly pigmented, the majority are; and even then the lighter ones can be built up to show better. Overall I'm really excited to see the different looks I will be able to make with this, and I'm really happy to have this to expand my collection.

This is the 'Iconic 2' palette, it's a lot bronzier (is that a word?) than the first palette, and has more lighter, subtle shades. I love this palette as it has more colours that I would say are 'everyday' friendly and that won't push you too far out of your comfort zone if you are new to eyeshadows (like myself). One of the first things I noticed about these palettes when I swatched them was how soft they are, and that they are really pigmented (as I said some more than others) and that they blend out so nicely. I really am so chuffed with the quality of these considering the palettes were only £4 each! 

L-R: Blackheart, Hung Up

Next up are the single eyeshadows. My initial thoughts on the packaging of these was that they probably aren't great for travelling as the lids don't close securely enough for me, they are practically the same as MUA's blush packaging, which personally I don't mind. I think it is good that they have a clear lid as this allows you to see the colour inside, which makes it a lot easier to find amongst others. The actual pigmentation of these I would say is slightly less than in the palettes however I still think they are really good for the money and can be built up easily. Personally I love the shade on the right (Hung Up) in the crease with brown eyeliner on the lash line, this is actually a new go-to look for me that is so simple yet adds a little something to your everyday make up. (if you would like I will try and do a FOTD with this look soon(?)

And last but not least, the lipstick in Reckless. I picked this up because on the website the shade actually looked a lot darker and vamp-ier so my first impression of the colour was a bit disappointing however I don't have anything like this in my stash so I'm sure I could use it. It's a lot pinker than I thought it would be however it is still a lovely bright colour and from the swatch it actually seems quick moisturising. I can't comment on the wear time as I haven't had a chance to try it out. I will say though that I don't think this would be the best lipstick to take out and about or travelling with, as the lid doesn't feel very secure and you do not want a bright pinky red lipstick smeared all over the insides of your bag! Not a nice surprise.

So there are my first impressions of my Makeup Revolution haul! I hope you enjoyed reading about these products and are maybe interested in giving this brand a go? I would definitely recommend the palettes for anyone, like me, who just can't afford to splash out on the UD Naked ones.

You can get Makeup Revolution products online at Superdrug or at makeuprevolutionstore.com 

*I would just like to state now that this post is not at all sponsored and that all of these opinions are my own*

Have any of you tried this brand before? Let me know what you think about it in the comments below :)

See you soon!

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#2014BloggerChallenge Topic 10 Hair/ / Hair Styles I Love

This topic is pretty much perfect for me as I love hair and styling it (even though I'm not so great at it). So I'm always looking at new styles that I could try out and different colours that I desperately wish I could pull off as well as the girls in the pictures. So I thought I would share some of my favourite hairstyles to give you all some inspiration too! You can also see my previous post on Hairspiration here!

One of my first favourites is actually one I am pretty crappy at doing myself but I love the way it looks and love the different things you can do with it.

Fishtail Braid

It's so simple and just really pretty and a nice twist on the classic braid style.

The next is a stunning interpretation using the braid style shown above.

I don't actually know if it has a name though, or one that I know of!

One really simple and easy style that I use quite regularly is the half up bun. I think it is casual yet practical, and still allows you to style your hair slightly. (Especially good for late mornings or when you need to wash your hair but have no time)

Finally is another braid style (seeing pattern?) the milkmaid/halo braid. I think this is so pretty and can be styled messily to create more of a festival look or even well done with some flower accessories it could be perfect for prom or a wedding or another formal occasion.

I hope these gave you a bit of inspiration to change up your regular styles or even just to try something new every now and then. I personally love all of these and think they could be changed up to fit any occasion.

I'll see you next weekend, when the majority of my exams will be over! I can not wait!

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