July 2017 Glossybox

I may have missed a few recently, but it's Glossybox time once again!

This month I was sent a super summery box which really put a smile on my face. Now I just HAVE to go on holiday, so that I can use all my new products. It's only right!

First of all, can I just say how much I love the actual box? Don't get me wrong, Glossybox's are always packaged beautifully, but I just adore the peach shade of this box, its just so rich and lovely!

So the first product that I have received is this Spectrum A10 fan brush. I have heard really good things about the brand Spectrum, and it is so reasonably priced that I might well be persuaded to buy some more... ooh who said that? It's really soft and I love the colours, it truly looks magical! My only tiny problem is that I already have a fan brush that I hardly ever use, so we'll see how much use I get from this one.

Next, I've got possibly the most disgusting sounding mask ever. Shills Snail Essence Wrinkle-Smoothing Sheet Mask really doesn't seem like something that I am wanting to put on my face. However, I have been enlightened by all of the benefits of snail essence for the skin, so I am more than open to giving it a try! I just really hope it doesn't smell of snail poo...

Next is a product that I would really like to try, but one that I just don't think I'll get the chance to. This MONUspa Soothing After Sun Lotion looks amazing, smells amazing, and just seems super luxurious. The problem? England post heatwave = a lot of rain. However, I may be going on holiday in the winter to somewhere gloriously sunny (haha suckers), so I'll be sure to keep this for then!

Next are these two Papanga Spiral Hairbands. I've seen these quite a lot around, but I've personally never really felt the need to try them. I believe that they are designed to prevent kinks being created by hair bands, but my hair is already so curly, that a few extra kinks are warmly welcomed. I have to say though, I thought they would be really loose, but I was pleasantly surprised by how tightly they held my hair.

And lastly is the product that I am most excited for in this box, the BellaPierre Banana Setting Powder. You have no idea how long I have wanted to try a loose powder, because they are meant to be really good for oily skin. So far I have made one hell of a mess with it, but I don't care because I finally get to try my hand at baking! Every girls dream come true!

So that is my Glossybox for the month of July. I hope you enjoyed, and as always, I really recommend Glossybox, it's such good value for money and a great little monthly treat!

See you soon!

New Look Wish List (SS17)

For several years now I've had a real thing against New Look. I haven't really bought anything from them in a really long time and I can never seem to find anything that I like. It also seems that since I used to shop there, they have really increased their prices so that they're more on the Topshop/Zara level rather than the H&M level.

So you can imagine my surprise when I went in a few months ago just on a whim and found the most amazing range of things that I love. It will come as no surprise to you that my favourite colour is yellow (I mean, duh) and bright yellow seems to be the colour of the season - it's everywhere and I love it! I also love that gingham is a trend, I think it is so cute.

I know that this post is coming a little late through the month, but hey ho - think of it as your shopping list ready for next summer! So here is my wish list for New Look!

£24.99

£22.99

SALE - £18

SALE - £20

SALE - £24

£17.99

£24.99

SALE - £7

SALE - £5

£24.99

£15.99

£19.99

£39.99

£29.99

£22.99

So that's my wish ist from New Look at the moment. I could have gone on and on, but I had to exercise some sef-restraint. Oh, if only I had all the money in the world...

See you soon!

What To Do?

Now not to brag or anything, but I'm already on my summer holidays, and I'm pretty darn smug about it! Although if anyone is jealous, just remember that I had to take a hella lot of exams in order to earn this!

However, I am learning that after the first few weeks of unwinding and promming, I literally have nothing to do for the next 10ish weeks.

Part of me is very excited by the idea of endless days of nothingness where I can just feast on trash TV all day, everyday. I have my eye on Riverdale, TOWIE, and I also want to re-watch Pretty Little Liars and Once Upon A Time.

I have spent the past two years or so working on re-doing my bedroom, which I am very excited to say is drawing to a close. Yesterday, I assembled my final piece of IKEA flat pack, and it was a proud moment. I just have to get rid of my old furniture and then it'll be all done, ready to be showcased here as a before-vs-after post - one which I am very excited about!

However saying that, part of me is very sad that it is over. I have been planning and saving for so long that it will feel as though I have lost a good friend when it's finished. Maybe I'll just have to start planning for the next redecoration!

I'm not going on holiday at all this summer, and the only other event that I have planned is Guidepost in a few weeks (WHOOP WHOOP!), so I am really at a loose end.

I seem to spend most of my time on Pinterest, looking for something to do. Don't get me wrong, that is an amazingly fun and incredibly fulfilling use of my time, but I wonder if I need a little something more...?

Since I finished making my prom dress (yesterdays post), I have been looking for another sewing project to undertake. I have been thinking about attempting a coat or jacket because I have never made something that complex or that requires tailoring skills before. However, the problem with dressmaking is that its actually quite pricy - patterns for coats are the most expensive patterns to
buy and coat fabrics are no picnic either!

So I suppose what I want is a long-term activity that is really fun and ideally free. Not too much to ask for really. I did ponder writing a novel or discovering the meaning of life or something, but frankly, that just sounds like too much effort and I am a teenager.

As a result of all my rambling, it appears that I have come a full circle and ended back up at plan A, and should therefore spend the majority of the indefinite future watching Netflix under the duvet.

I apologise for wasting your time with this fairly useless post, but hey, if you have any ideas please do not hesitate to inspire me - I am in dire need!

See you soon!

My Prom Dress

I recently had my prom which as we all know is the most important night in every girls life. And by that I mean the hugely overhyped, incredibly American, awkward evening of standing around and making small talk with people you didn't even realise were in your year. So yeah, lots of fun!

Regardless of this however, I decided to make my prom dress, because hey, when you've had a month of exams, what's better than more stress? It was something that I've always wanted to do and I wanted the chance to push myself and make something that I could wear and be proud of.

I'm really pleased (and quite smug) to say that it was actually a success! Like many others, I thought that I may be running round a shopping centre the day of prom, trying to find something to wear after everything had failed. This was not the case, though I'm not denying the fact that there was a little last minute sewing.

My dress is made of two separate pieces, the top and the skirt, though I wore the top tucked in so that this wasn't obvious. I used two patterns for this: McCall's M7355 where I made skirt B, and Simplicity 8130 where I made top A.

I used a beautiful teal satin duchess polyester with black trimmings, straps and netting. It's not really a colour I normally go for, but I am absolutely obsessed with it! It looks different in every light, sometimes it's really green and others its much more blue.

It took me a while to decide whether to make a long or short skirt and I went for short in the end. I am really pleased about this, I think that it was definitely the right choice. I had enough difficulty navigating the gravel path in heels, I did not need a long skirt to worry about too! Plus, I was going to make the top from the McCall's pattern, but I changed my mind and bought the Simplicity pattern instead, which gave the dress more of a 50s edge, so the shorter skirt worked better with it.

I love 50s fashions and I really think that the little nipped in waists and full skirts are very flattering. Team that with the cute little collar and sweetheart neckline and I was completely in love. Although the collar did cause me quite a lot of grief during the production (its not even!), its one of my favourite parts of the dress. My other favourite part is the dotty buttons going down the back. They are just such fun - I love them!

The top was originally going to include boning (strips of plastic used as stiffener), but I decided not to include it. The fabric was stiff enough and it had interfacing, so it really didn't need any more structure. It would've also made it really difficult to sit down without being jabbed in the boob!

I don't know exactly how long the dress took me to make, because I did little bits at a time. I was working on it for just over a month, but as some of you may well know, the most time consuming part of any garment is always in the cutting and not the sewing. I estimate that it probably took me 20 hours, though I really have no idea.

In total, this dress cost me around £70, which I really don't think is too bad. That's the amount I would've wanted to spend had I gone to a shop and bought one, and making it was much more fun! Prom dresses are, on average, a lot more expensive than that, so I really think that it is quite reasonable.

If I could change anything about my dress, it would be the hem on the skirt. It is really bulky and wouldn't lie flat no matter how much I ironed it, but despite that, I am really happy with my dress. I enjoyed wearing it and am proud of myself for making it.

I wore my hair in milkmaid braids to try and continue the 50s theme and I did a cut-crease (ish) teal eyeshadow look with a nude lip. I wore small black heels, because I really did not want to be taller than everyone!

I did enjoy prom, more than I thought I would. My advice would be to go in with no expectations whatsoever, so that anything that happens is a nice surprise. This is what I did, and I ended up having a good time!

I hope you enjoyed this little look at my prom dress and hearing all the behind-the-scenes gossip from its creating!

See you soon!

April, May and June Favourites 2017

I have returned from the dead! Or, you know, returned from exams, which is basically the same thing. And I am returning today with an explosion of a post whereby I talk through all the things that I have been loving in the past three months. Now there is a lot of stuff to get through and we are all aware of my outstanding tendency to ramble for England, so I am going to try and be as sharpish as possible!

First up, beauty. I haven't tried out a huge amount of stuff recently but there are a few things that I have really enjoyed using. The first of these is an old classic, the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. I don't know what it is about this foundation but I have just been reaching for it again and again. It covers blemishes without being too high coverage and is really lightweight so doesn't feel heavy or sticky which is a definite bonus during exams.

Next, I have two contour products. I have never really contoured before but have recently fallen in love with it. This Contour Stick by Model Co is a really nice colour, it applies really easily and blends out nicely if you just want a subtle contour. I have also been loving this Collection Highlight and Sculpt Kit. The highlight isn't my favourite, but I really love the contour powder, again it just applies really nicely and is super easy to blend.

Lastly in the beauty category, I adore this trio of Primark nail varnishes. The colours are just absolutely amazing, I'm especially obsessed with the centre coppery one. They look like molten metal on your nails and are actually amazing quality considering I got all three for £2.50!

The next section is definitely the biggest, its the TV that I have been loving. As we all know, exams are the perfect time to discover some new gems as you have all the extra time from insane amounts of procrastination. And believe, some true gems have been found. First of all, Dance Moms. I cannot tell you how many hours of this show I have watched, but to give you a rough idea, I have watched two episodes a day for two months - I just can't get enough. If you ever think that your life is bad, go and watch an episode of Dance Moms and EVERYTHING is put into perspective. And the drama! I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions with that show.

How I Met Your Mother is one of my favourite sitcoms and is just amazing to unwind to. I have also discovered TOWIE, of which there are 17 series on Netflix (I've just finished series 2, quite a way to go yet!). It's absolutely hilarious and again, something great to unwind to. I also love Project Runway, I find it completely fascinating and I just pray that Netflix put up more series! I need more Tim Gunn in my life! RuPaul's Drag Race is another one that I have enjoyed, I find it really interesting because I never really knew anything about Drag Queens or that side of the LGBTQ+ community before, and I think RuPaul is simply fabulous!

And lastly, I can't NOT mention the queen of them all, the show that has stolen my heart once again: Love Island. A few weeks in and I already care more about all of those people than any of my friends or family. I know its trash, but it's good trash and it is just the best thing in my life at the moment!

 I've read quite a lot of books recently, some of which I may write separate posts on. I was completely stunned and amazed by Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, and I can completely see why it is so raved about. I've read a few books by Sophie Kinsella, who is great if you just want something light to unwind to. And one of my all-time favs: Goodnight Mister Tom, you'll never find a book that touches your heart more, that I can guarantee.

And finally, recently we have seen a little bit of sun! Well, around 30 degrees worth. I love the sun, I think it makes everything so much more positive and summer clothes are so much prettier than winter clothes!

I had a lot of other things that I wanted to talk about, but I had to edit a lot. Now that I'm back, I'm back with a vengeance and I'm going to be annoying you by uploading A LOT of posts!

See you soon!

April 2017 Glossybox

It's that time of the month again folks - it's Glossybox time!

The very first product in my Glossybox this week is a sample of the Elgon Deliwash Cleansing Conditioner. This is a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner that is designed to enhance curls and leave them free from frizz - which, for those of you who know me, is something that I really need! I have used this twice already on top of my usual shampoo and conditioner (I know, that's not how it's supposed to be used), and to be honest, I haven't really noticed a difference at all. I have quite a lot of hair, so I think that I need to use more than the suggested amount, and I will definitely stick with it because I am very curious! I also love the smell of it, it smells amazing. It reminds me of the perfume my sister always wears (which I think is Poison by Dior, in case you were wondering!).

The next thing is this ModelCo Contour Stick. I was really excited when I saw this and it was actually the very first thing that I reached for, but me being me obviously meant that in my very first opening of it, I dented it and got it everywhere. Good job. Anyway, first of all, I love the smell again. This smells quite chocolatey and just very desirable I guess. Now, I'm not going to pretend like I have the slightest clue what I'm talking about, but I was a little concerned that it seemed too warm-toned to be a contour, and that it looked much more like a bronzer colour. However, I have used it once of twice already and the colour doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. It blends out really nicely and so far, I am really enjoying using it!

The very next thing I was also very excited about! It is this SportFX Definition Duo Eyeliner Pencil. I hardly ever use liquid eyeliner because I am really lazy and there isn't enough time in the mornings and because it's always raining in winter and I always have a weepy eye in summer. So, as a result of this, I very often end up using pencil liners, and I really enjoy using them. I was really happy when I saw that this came with a brown pencil as well, because I haven't ever really used one before. So far, I have found the precision and the skinniness of it to be really useful. I've had a little trouble with them being quite hard and tough to apply, but I have really enjoyed using it and wearing it. It's also meant to be self sharpening - I don't know quite how that works, but it makes me excited!

The next product is this Merci Handy Love and Hand Cleansing Gel, which is a really posh way of saying hand gel. Mine is in the smell (or flavour?) Lollipop, and I absolutely love it! I wouldn't say that it really smells of a lollipop, it's just very fresh and almost citrusy, and I definitely my kind of smell. I don't really use hand sanitizer, but I will definitely be popping this in my school blazer, to keep my hand sanitized throughout the day! The only criticism that I have is that it comes out of the bottle very fast and you may end up getting too much. However, that may just be me squeezing too hard!

And the last product that I received in my Glossybox this month is the Rodial Glamolash Mascara XXL. I received a kohl eyeliner by Rodial a few months ago and I absolutely loved it, so I had very high hopes for this. However, honestly, I don't think it's that great. Don't get me wrong, it's a good mascara, it's lengthening and thickening, it just isn't as good as the Maybelline Lash Sensational, for example. I'm not sure it's worth paying £24 for the full size one, but I will really enjoy using this little sample!

That is everything that I received in my Glossybox this month. You may have noticed that I waited a little longer than usual to write about it, and that was so that I could give you more of an actual review on the products, rather then talking about them randomly. Actually, that's a complete lie, I have just been super busy recently, but I guess that it works for both reasons!

See you soon!

March 2017 Favourites

Goodness gracious me, time is moving far to fast at the moment. It is just not OK that I am here writing another favourites post! However, I cannot let myself think about that otherwise I shall start stressing about things that are to come and that it never good.

I have a really good range of random things that I have been loving this month, and I hope that by sharing them with you, I can impart some of my wisdom (because I have bucket loads) onto you.

First up, in the beauty category, I have been loving this Maybelline 24 Karat Nudes pallet. I think that I wrote a post on the original The Nudes pallet when it came out (which I still love) and so I was very excited when one of my friends gave me this for my birthday at the end of February. I adore this pallet because it is so versatile. I have been trying to be a little more daring with my use of colour especially when it comes to eyeshadow, and this pallet is perfect because it has a perfect mix of wearable nude shades with a few beautiful bright colours mixed in. I have worn every colour in this pallet and I love them all, they are so pigmented and such good quality. Also, one of the only things that I didn't like about the original The Nudes pallet was that the highlight shades weren't very pigmented and slightly bitty. These highlight shades are absolutely beautiful, they really make the inner tear-duct pop!

For quite a while now I have vowed eternal hatred to oil pastels. I used them a couple of months ago and it did not go well at all. Since then, I have absolutely hated everything about them and refused to even touch them. However, this is favourites not fails. A week or two ago I was trying to do a study as apart of my art coursework and I couldn't  decide what media to use, so for some reason I picked them up and gave them another go. It was a little shakey at first, but I ended up completely falling in love with them! They are entirely a different technique to anything else and it took me a while to get the hang of it, but once I did, I produced a pretty cracking piece of work (though I do say so myself!). I will definitely be reaching for oil pastels a lot more willingly in future.

Next, I have been loving Redbubble. For those of you who don't know, Redbubble is a website where artists can upload their artwork and people can purchase it in the form of phone cases or cushions or t shirts or all kinds of things. I love seeing the amazing creative and quirky designs that people come up with, I find it really inspirational! I have spent so many hours browsing the Redbubble website and really recommend all of you to check it out - not only will you find some beautiful unique stuff, but you'll be helping artists to achieve their dreams! While we're on the subject, I have also been toying with the idea of uploading some of my own art for you guys to buy and I'd love to hear if that is something you may be interested in!

In the food category this month, I've got an old classic for you - Pom Bears. I bought these as snacks to take into school, and re-fell in love with them. I have such fond memories of eating these when I was little with my childminder. We used to go for walks and then come back and eat lunch and have pom bears. After we finished eating the crisps, my childminder would wash up the packets and we would cut the bears out and then make little homes for them - it was the most fun ever! These crisps are just amazing, they're fun and tasty and will make you feel four years old again! Plus, as far as crisps go, they're really low calorie!

As I mentioned before, I have been doing a lot of art coursework. However, I have also been doing a lot of textiles work too, and that has lead me to discover the most amazing thing in the world: bias binding. It is a ribbon like material that you stitch one half to on one side of a seam or edge and then fold and stitch the other half on the other half of the seam of edge and you are left with a beautifully neat and perfectly tidy seam! I have been a little unsure with what to do with all of my mistakes along the seams, but this has covered it perfectly! I just love it, and I will definitely being using it a lot more in future.

Last but not least, another March favourite of mine has been French you tubers. I currently study French, and generally I am all round terrible at it. However, I do have one particular weakness (the worst of a bad lot) and that is in the listening. I find it so difficult to hear and understand what people are saying, and then to interpret it to try and answer a question. It was suggested to me to try watching some French youtubers, as it would not only get me used to hearing the language but also help to widen my vocabulary. I have a system whereby I watch the video initially with no subtitles and see what I pick up. I then watch the video with English subtitles before watching it for a third time, again with no subtitles. To be honest, I don't know how well it works, but it certainly makes revising a lot more fun! The three youtubers that I watch the most are Cyprien, Natoo and Norman fait des videos, and I would really recommend them all!

I really apologise that this post is coming so late into April, but I have just been so busy recently, I haven't really been keeping up with the dates!

See you soon!


   

Nail Varnish Collection 2017

I have just (and I mean in the last five minutes) finished going through my nail varnishes and having a bit of a sort and clear out. I used to keep them in a tub, but I didn't really like that, so I am planning to buy one of those big plastic mason jars (or something along those lines) to keep them in, but for now they're just on my desk.

However, I don't really talk about nail varnish very much and I thought that it might be nice if I shared my collection with you. First of all, you must know that I am absolute crap when it comes to nails. I'm not one of those people with beautiful long nails who does all kinds of fancy nail art, my nails are short and horrible and weak (so they never grow) and I don't even paint them as much as I would like - blummin school rules. So my collection is based on me being an absolute cheapskate and novice, and not because I'm trying to show off - there is absolutely nothing to show off about!

So first up are some of the first nail varnishes that I ever got. Father Christmas dropped these in my stocking years ago and I've kept them because I actually really like them. They're by a brand called Flutter (which I think is only available at Christmas?) and all of the colours are actually really nice and wearable. I really like the burgundyish colour, and I also wear the blue quite a bit because it's not too ostentatious for school. I have no idea what the names are, and I doubt that they are still available, but I kind of love em because they show where I came from.

Next up are my Rimmel nail varnishes. I actually love Rimmel polishes, they are probably my go to brand and the only one that I have ever tried in great depth. I especially love the Rita Ora festival ones (which are the three on the left). I have 878 (Roll In The Grass), 880 (Port-A-Loo-Blue) and 450 (Daisy Days). I basically lived in these three colours last summer, especially the yellow. They're really quick drying which is good because I'm super impatient and although they aren't particularly long lasting, they have that special one-stroke brush which is really thick, and I really like that. I then have a 405 (Loafer Love For You) and a 500 (Caramel Cupcakes), which is a great nude for school because it dries so fast and has a nice finish. Last of all, I tried out one of Rimmel's Super Gel range, in 021 (New Romantic). I wore this quite a lot last spring, those I wasn't particularly crazy about it.

I then have a couple of nudes which I have gotten from various Glossyboxes, a Ciate paint pot in Iced Frappe (which I have just used for the first time and so far, really like - fast drying and very opaque with one coat!), and a Revlon 705 in Gray Suede. I think that I've only used that one once, but I don't think that I was very impressed because it took ages to dry. However, I will be using it again because I can't really remember.

Then I have a couple of Maybelline polishes which I actually got in a set together last year I think. There are some crystals and a bright red. The red is actually really good, fast drying (you can really tell what I look for in a varnish cant you?) and a really strong colour. I have only used the crystals once or twice, but I never have any problems with them coming off, they stick pretty firmly.

Next I have two MUA ones which I was given. I think that these are literally £1 each, so you cant expect much from them. However, they do have a really nice range of colours, even if you have to use about 400 coats to be able to see them! I think I might buy a few other colours and give them a go, and let you know what I think!

Lastly, I just have two random ones, a red one that I was given and I have no idea what the brand is or what colour it is and I don't actually think I've ever used... and the other which is my only Barry M one, and I think I inherited from my sister and is some glitter particle thingys. If I ever get invited to a party, I think that this will become very appropriate!

Then in the way of top coats, I have three: the Revlon Diamond Top Coat, which takes agesss to dry, the Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat which gives you the gel effect and my favourite, the Barry M Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener. It's pretty bog standard but it does everything you want it too!

So that is my nail varnish collection, I know that it's not huge, I am just too impatient most of the time to make a good job out of my nails!

See you soon!