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Monday 9 November 2015

Autumnal Makeup Look


Since we have now officially welcomed Autumn with open arms, I thought it was only appropriate to share with you one of my go-to autumn makeup looks. It's a pretty simple one, with a typical berry toned lip, flushed cheeks, and a brown eye.




For foundation I used my trusty MAC Face & Body, which gives a medium coverage to the skin, but allows some of the natural colour to poke through. To highlight the skin I used my Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer, which I applied generously under the eyes in the usual 'V' shape, on my chin, and on my cupids bow. I love this concealer for highlighting but if anyone has any better alternatives please let me know! To set that all in place I used the Rimmel Stay Matte powder which I cannot recommend enough!

To make my skin look a little more 'life-like' I used my Sleek Contour Kit to create some definition under my cheekbones and along my temples. Sometimes I feel like this isn't enough, so I took my bronzer from the Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar Palette and applied it to my cheeks and along my hairline. To finish off the cheeks I used my Topshop Blush Duo in Bitten Cherry, and added some MAC Soft and Gentle Highlight to the tops of my cheekbones. I can't get enough of Soft and Gentle at the moment! It's definitely not the most subtle highlight but it is so gorgeous!


Onto the eyes and I kept it quite simple, as the main focus is definitely the bold lip in this look. Therefore I took my KIKO Water Eyeshadow in 205 and ran it all across my eyelids, making sure to blend out any harsh lines. For mascara I used my old pal the Maybelline The Rocket Mascara, and applied a lot of coats to create volume, as I have awful lashes. And lastly I used the Rimmel Black Eyeliner in my waterline and tightline to darken the look up a bit. 

My eyebrow routine still hasn't changed at all, so I used my ancient Sleek Brow Kit in Dark and the Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown to create my usual strong brow. I feel like I am not myself without my brows, please tell me I am not the only person who feels this way?! To finish it all off I used my Autumn favourite, MAC Diva lipstick.


What are your favourite Autumn makeup products?

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Wednesday 30 September 2015

My Everyday 'Stay At Home' Makeup

  

The majority of the time when I am having 'Stay At Home' days, I don't like to wear any makeup at all, but sometimes you just want to look presentable. When I want a quick and basic makeup look for those sort of days, this is the look I go for, and all in all it takes no longer than 10 minutes to create the whole look.


I really try to use minimal products on my face, as I believe that having 'at home' days is the perfect excuse to let your skin breathe and recuperate from all those days where it has been covered in foundation and whatever else. For this look I used my Sleek Eyebrow Kit in Dark (which is not looking its best I have to admit), along with my Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown to set my brows down. For the eyes I like to keep it quite simple, with a winged liner and lashings of Mascara. For the liner I used my newest discovery, the Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner (Thank you Suzie from HelloOctober for this!), and for mascara I used my Clinique High Impact Mascara. To add a little colour to my cheeks I used my new favourite Collection Speedy Blush Stick in "Pinch Me", which I wrote a blog post about here. The final touch was some of my Tanya Burr Lipgloss in "Aurora", which is a gorgeous natural pink colour. For me, I much prefer to wear lipgloss or a sheer lipstick when I am at home.



  What makeup items do you like using when you're having a 'stay at home' day? 


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Monday 28 September 2015

A Long Weekend in Newquay


A couple of weekends ago the boyfriend and I packed our bags and headed down to Newquay for three nights with our Sun Holidays Caravan. I in particular was very sceptical about whether or not this would be a good holiday, as I have never stayed in a caravan and for £90 for three nights, you don't really expect luxury, however I was particularly impressed. The caravan was stocked up with all our kitchen requirements and had a working fire and electricity (I guess that's what modern caravans are like, but definitely not what I expected!). 

We stayed at Newquay View Resort, which was a fairly quiet resort considering the location being in Newquay, which seems to attract the younger visitors. There was a pool on site as well as a handful of options for food and drink. We didn't really explore the food and drink as we were out most of the time and decided to cook every night. Unfortunately the campsite wasn't within a walking distance from town, so we did have to drive in. Luckily we were located very closely to Watergate Bay, which was by far our favourite beach out of all the ones we visited over the four days.


We also visited the extremely popular Fistral Beach, which was pretty quiet considering the time of year and the fact that the waves were decent that day. As one of the best surfing beaches in the UK we were very surprised, but weren't complaining as it meant we got a top table at the beach bar. I really recommend heading to the beach bar at Fistral, especially when the weather is nice, as it is such a brilliant atmosphere.

Padstow was also another town we visited, and it is one I have visited many times before as a young child, and have tonnes of fond memories there. It seems to have got much busier since I last visited, and it was slightly unpleasant to see such a quaint town so heaving. Nonetheless we had a lovely day, visiting the beach and doing cliff walks. I also picked up some fudge from a lovely little sweet shop (who could go to Cornwall and not pick up any fudge?!), and we had some pasties on the harbour front from Pasty Presto which were lovely. 

The food options in Newquay town itself were so vast, with everything you could imagine available, plenty of pasty shops and bakeries serving Cream Teas. We found a lovely little bakery called Paulines Creamery, which did a huge selection of cakes (I highly recommend the Peanut Brittle Cake), and a delicious Cream Tea. Needless to say, don't go to Newquay if you're on a diet!


I cannot recommend using the Sun Holidays more, as the process was so easy and everything was super cheap. Next year I might look into the caravans abroad, as they are a very good deal also.

Have you ever been to Cornwall? Where did you visit?


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Wednesday 23 September 2015

New Look Mid-Season Sale Picks



1) White Lace Up Hi-Top Block Heel Boots Now £11.00, Was £19.99
How perfect are these boots for a night out?! I can just imagine wearing them with a little black dress or even a pair of black jeans, they are just such a versatile pair of boots. I really don't need any more boots but these are just gorgeous.

2) Gold Metallic Zip Front Backpack - Now £10.00, Was £19.99
I actually already have this backpack in white, and it's such a comfortable rucksack to wear. Not only is it comfortable but it fits a tonne of stuff in, and I think that this golden colour is just something very different.

3) Pink Tassel Loafers - No£9.00, Was £19.99
Pink shoes are something that perhaps aren't the most versatile of shoes, or the easiest to wear, but I think teamed with an all black outfit, or a black and white outfit these would be super cute.

4) Black Strappy High Neck Floral Print Skater DressNow £7.00, Was £14.99
I know it's not really the right season to be buying skater dresses but this one is one I think would look gorgeous with a pair of tights and ankle boots. The high neck is something I am really into and the print on this dress is gorgeous.


5) Parisian Navy Floral Print V Neck Crop TopNow £9.00,  Was £14.99
Teamed with a midi skirt I think that this crop top would make a gorgeous evening outfit. Perhaps with a pair of nude heels too it would look very sophisticated. I am always on the hunt for nice evening outfits that are fairly cheap as I do not like to spend too much as chances are I will only wear the item once.


6) Brown Suedette Cami Now £5.00,  Was £9.99
Suede is super in at the moment, and therefore I was super shocked to see that this top was reduced! The colour is a gorgeous orangey brown and with a lovely bright blue denim I feel this would look gorgeous.


Which is your favourite out of my picks?

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Monday 21 September 2015

Things I Love To Do When Its Raining

With the bad weather now on its way, thanks to the arrival of Autumn, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you my favourite things to do when the weather is rubbish and it's far too wet to be outside. Typically, as I write this, the rain is pouring down over my garden.
  
  


1) Start a new series on Netflix
I recently finished watching Daredevil on Netflix, which by the way was potentially one of my all time favourite series, but I always find that watching Netflix is the best way to pass a day where you really cannot leave the house unless you wish to become a drowned rat. Netflix have really improved their variety recently, and since today's weather is awful here in London, I am going to get cracking on 'My List'.

2) Catch up on blog stuff
This is not necessarily something that is applicable to everyone, but I find that when the weather is rubbish it gives me a chance to get my head down and write as many blog posts as I can so that I have no excuse for not posting when I am having a busy day. 

3) Organise and Tidy my room
My bedroom at home is a complete tip, and since I am in and out at University all the time, my family seem to think it is okay to use my room as storage for all the rubbish in our house. It thoroughly needs a deep clean and a massive clearout is also desperately needed, and I always find that I feel a hundred times less stressed once I have a calm and uncluttered area to relax in.

4) Online Shop
When is online shopping not a good idea?! (says the girl who is constantly in her overdraft...). I do often get lost in my laptop on rainy days, and I also find that the "Want" bookmarks folder on my Chrome gets very full, no thanks to ASOS. Even though 90% of the time I don't end up buying anything there and then, I do keep and eye on all the items I have bookmarked and if it happens that any of them go on sale, I will snatch them up.

5) Go to the Cinema
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are always Cinema days for me and my boyfriend, as we make the most of our 2 for 1 Meerkat Movies offer. We do tend to go mostly when it is raining, as this way we cannot be upset about the fact we can't do anything due to the rain. I always find that although the cinema is busy when the weather is awful, there is just something so cosy and comforting about watching a film in the dark.

6) Do some Colouring
Something I have recently been loving doing is getting under my duvet with a mug of Green Tea and doing some colouring in. Colouring books for adults seem to be having a massive moment right now, and I jumped straight on the bandwagon. It's so calming and passes the time wonderfully. 

7) Have a hot bath
Perhaps more of an obvious suggestion, but I think there is no better time to pamper yourself than when the sky is grey. A hot bath with a couple of candles and a bath bomb is the perfect way to feel cosy and prep yourself for the next day.

8) BAKE
Baking is one of my favourite things to do regardless of what the weather is doing, but there's nothing more warming than having the oven on to bake a cake or a fresh loaf of bread. My favourite things to bake at the moment are Scones, after my recent trip to Newquay I cannot get enough of Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam (not doing any wonders for my waist though...).


What things do you like to get up to when the weather is rubbish?


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Friday 18 September 2015

Collection Speedy Blush Stick


We all love a quick fix when it comes to doing our Makeup in the morning, and I think I have found my new Autumn favourite 'Speedy' Blush. It comes from Collection, and is a stick which you can just draw onto the cheeks and blend out with your fingers or a brush. Personally I find it easier to blend it out with my fingers, and it is also much quicker. However, when I do use a brush I use the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. The range also contains a highlighter stick which I was also tempted to, however I own way too many highlighters to justify buying another.


I have the blush shade 'Pinch Me' which is a gorgeous plum tone with a tiny bit of shimmer in, which is perfect for the Autumn Season, and looks lovely with a berry toned lip. With a flawless base this creates the most natural glow on the cheeks. However, I often wear it without any other base products as it blends in well on my skin.


Although these are very pigmented, when they are blended out they look natural on the skin, and this is how I like to wear them, as on my skin it gives that natural "pinched" look. They can definitely be built up to a more extreme blush if that is what you are in to. 
  
Please ignore the bad quality - my camera is being ridiculous!


Have you tried any stick blushers? What are some of your favourites?

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Wednesday 16 September 2015

Missguided Autumn '15 Picks

Missguided is always a brand for me that brings out amazing items every season. Over the past few years I really believe they have upped their quality, which yes is reflected in the prices, but their items are still all very reasonable compared to other high street brands.
Their Autumn/Winter collection is particularly impressive, so I thought I would share with you my Missguided wishlist for this Autumn.


I already have a longline cardigan from Missguided and it is probably the most worn thing in my wardrobe at the moment. Its an item that is super convenient to just throw on over any outfit, and I love how versatile they are - I even take mine on nights out.

I have been looking for the perfect pair of cigarette trousers since last year when I was going to London Fashion Week, and I think I have finally found the ones! I love that they are high waisted but cropped in length, which will make them super flattering on my body type. Not only will these be perfect for work, but also for a night out with a crop top and heels.

£60.00
No I do not need another pair of black boots, but these may have to be an exception. Over the Knee boots are a massive trend for this Autumn/Winter, and I am all about it! I have fairly chunky legs so finding high leg boots is a bit of a pain, but these are a more stretchy material and will definitely be more up my street. 

4) ALAGA FEDORA IN BLACK£15.00
Every single fashion blogger has a fedora in their wardrobe, and reading outfit posts makes me really want one! I love how sleek and sophisticated they look, and I think for winter they are perfect as you can be warm and look good at the same time (which personally I find very hard to achieve). Also this is probably the best priced fedora I have seen this season.

I absolutely used to hate roll neck jumpers, but for some reason there is something I am really loving about them at the moment. Again I think this is a perfect way to keep warm but look good at the same time, as I find that winter scarves can really ruin an outfit. I think the sleeveless take on the jumper is very edgy and there's just something I quite enjoy about it.

The colour of this coat is what got me, its just so...different. It's definitely unlike anything else I own. I have been after a duster coat for a while now and I think this might be 'the one'. It will be perfect for those Autumn days where its not super cold but you need that extra layer. The price of this is also super reasonable, and I will be purchasing as soon as my student loan drops!


What are you lusting after for Autumn?



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Thursday 10 September 2015

Top 10 Tips For Starting University

 Starting University and moving away from home can be a super scary experience, I know personally I was extremely nervous before leaving for University, so I thought I would share my top 10 tips with you to make your first year as enjoyable as possible.


1) Be sociable
I know it sounds a bit obvious, but make sure when you arrive you don't lock yourself in your room, the first day is crucial in making friends with your flatmates. Leave a wedge in your door to keep it open so people know to come and say hello.

2) Bring Decorations
Most University bedrooms are very crummy and un-homely, so I made sure I printed a tonne of photos of friends and family to stick all around my room. You will be surprised how much more homely this will make your room. Another brilliant thing to take with you is fairy lights - there's nothing like falling asleep with fairy lights on when you are feeling homesick.

3) Don't be "that person"
Don't label your food with your name straight away. I don't know if I am the only one who thinks like this, but personally I think it screams the thought that you already don't trust your flatmates. I know it is quite likely that once or twice during your first year some of your food will go missing, HOWEVER it really isn't worth making yourself look paranoid and stingy in the first week.

4) Bring all the Fancy Dress items you have
The students Union will make any excuse to have a fancy dress themed night, so make sure you bring all your dressing up gear. Most Universities will have a "Sports Fed" night where all the sports teams go out in force in a specific fancy dress theme. It's a brilliant atmosphere so make sure you get involved and dress up as stupidly as possible, no one wants to see the generic 'Schoolgirl Slut' outfit, it's time to whack out the giant 'Crayola Crayon' costume!


5) Go to as many Freshers events as possible
Freshers week (or fortnight in most cases) is the best week (or two weeks) of your year, and potentially of your whole University experience. I'm not going to lie, you will be absolutely dead if you go to all 14 nights, but it really is worth going to as many as you can. Not only is it a great opportunity to make friends, as everyone is much more laid back after a drink or two, but it is also a great way to make memories with your new flatmates. I went to 12 out of 14 of my nights and I do not regret doing them (my liver might say otherwise!). 


6) Don't go all-out at pre-drinks
As a student, money will obviously be short, and you will find that the cheapest nights out are the ones where you have a large pre-drinks session before heading out. Saying this, it is extremely easy to get carried away at pre-drinks and spend the night lying half out of your bathroom door (only me this has happened to...?) instead of heading out to the Students Union with your friends. Make sure you pace yourself at pre-drinks, it sounds simple, but when you start to feel a bit queasy don't fall for the "WE LIKE TO DRINK WITH DAENA COS DAENA IS OUR MATE, AND WHEN WE DRINK WITH DAENA SHE DOWNS IT ALL IN 8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..." - the hangover and falling asleep in your puke is not worth it.

7) Join Clubs & Societies
Joining clubs and societies is somewhere I went wrong, and I really regret it. I never joined any societies in my first year and I wish I had, as they always seem to have the most fun and the most wild nights out. As I previously mentioned, most Universities will have one night a week dedicated to sports teams and societies going out, so being part of these societies is a great way to make new friends you probably wouldn't have met otherwise.

8) Don't leave Assignments till the night before
This is something that I never did *pats on the back*. However, I have plenty of flatmates who did this, and the stress they were under was unreal. It is so much better to start your assignment when you get it, and work on it over a week or two rather than cramming the night before it is due. Universities really are not lenient with handing in work, if you miss the deadline that's it, you will get a fail. 

9) Go to Lectures
Again, another tip that sounds absolutely ridiculous as the main reason you're going to University is to learn, but trust me, the temptation to not go to your 9am after a heavy night is real. Just always remember how much you are paying to be there, and how lucky you are to be going to University and go to all your Lectures and Seminars. Not only is it making the most out of your money, but it is also giving you the best chance of passing first year.

10) Shop and Cook With Your Flatmates
The cheapest way to cook is definitely to cook with someone else. You will find that most things in the Supermarket are made for two people, so I found the cheapest thing to do for dinners was to shop with someone else and eat the same meal. My first few weekly shops were around £50 which is just insane, compared to when I cooked dinners with my flatmate and I spent around £25. 

I hope that these tips have been helpful to those of you who are starting University this month. It will be a wonderful experience and it will go by in the blink of an eye so make the most of your first year before the hard work begins! If you have any other tips please leave them in the comments below!

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Wednesday 9 September 2015

Makeup Revolution Blush Palette in Golden Sugar




Oh my! I have found my new favourite palette and it was the biggest bargain ever, at only £6. It is one of the Blush palettes from Makeup Revolution, called Golden Sugar. It contains 8 shades of bronzer, blush and highlight. Almost all of the colours act as a highlight on my skin, as I have a slightly darker skin tone, however on pale skin tones you'd have three gorgeous blush shades, three highlighters a contour and a bronzer shade. 

First Row from L to R
First Row from R to L
Second Row from L to R
As you can see from the swatches, every colour is extremely pigmented, with the exception of the contour shade which does not even show up on my skin (however definitely would on a paler tone). My personal favourite is the Bronze shade on the bottom row, and I use this on my cheeks and where I would naturally tan. It adds the most beautiful glow without being too overpowering. Oh, and it also acts wonderfully as an eyeshadow. 

I find that these blend out really well, with the exception of the first shade which for some reason does not blend as nicely as the others. 

Have you tried anything from Makeup Revolution? 

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Wednesday 2 September 2015

A Wanderluster's Must-Have



As someone who dreams of travelling the world someday, I had been lusting over this book for quite some time, but never quite got round to buying it until I was in Waterstones looking for a good holiday read. 

Travel Listography is basically a book where you can write all the places in the world that you want to visit, and each page is a different 'place' or 'thing'. For example, you have a different page for each of the continents, a different page for beaches you want to visit, and another for landmarks etc. I haven't quite finished writing in all the places I want to go yet, however the United States page is pretty much filled up already, since that is the place I am most desperate to travel. Once you have visited a place you can tick it off (I love nothing more than a good old fashioned Check List!). 
I love how organised this book is, if you are someone who really wants to travel I cannot recommend this enough, as it is a great way to keep track of places you have been, and plan future trips. There's even a page where you can write all the things you pack on a holiday so you won't be forgetting anything on your next trip!

The RRP is £13.00, however I believe it is on sale on the Waterstones website at the moment so it is worth grabbing quickly to save a couple extra pounds.

Have any of you got the Travel Listography book? What do you think of it?

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Tuesday 1 September 2015

A Chanel Treat

  


I feel I have come to an important milestone in my beauty blogging days, I have bought my first Chanel lipstick. On my way back from Majorca I stopped at the Chanel counter at Palma airport and found this most beautiful orange toned red lipstick. It is called Incandescente and is from the Rouge Allure collection. For me, Chanel is the one of the most luxury lipsticks you can own, the packaging is just so sleek and beautiful, and I feel so stylish even carrying it. The sleek black tube and 'pop' opening is just so luxe and I am in love with it.
  

As for the pigmentation and the formula, I found that the lipstick was fairly pigmented, however it was definitely buildable, and the picture below shows it on my lips with just one layer. The colour is amazingly vibrant and would suit any skin tone. The formula is very satin in finish, its far from matte but it is definitely not a 'glossy' finish. It reminds me of the Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple which is one of my all time favourite lipsticks, and perhaps the only lipstick I have ever finished. I wore this to work and at the end of my four hour shift I still have a true colour left on my lips, despite having several drinks.


 Overall I would definitely recommend splashing out on this lipstick as it was possibly the most comfortable lipstick to wear, and it's so versatile and buildable. I feel like I will never get bored of Chanel packaging either, it will just never go out of style. These retail for £26, but I paid around €26, which is equivalent to just over £18, so it was an absolute bargain! Duty Free is my love.

Are you a fan of Chanel Lipsticks? Please tell me I am not the only one obsessed with Chanel packaging?!


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