Music Monday #3

Today is the turn of John Smith. I recently saw him play as support to Ben Howard and I was in love from the first song. Again it's chilled listening but in my eyes you really can't beat it. I just love the way it makes you feel and how you can so easily get lost in it. John Smith is from Devon and has toured all over. What I thought was amazing was when Ben was playing, he said how much of an inspiration and how much he admired John 

Enough of that.. Here is my favourite song off his most recent album 'Great Lakes' 

ENJOY! 

Dove Hair Therapy| Nourishing Oil Care Leave-in Conditioning & Care Spray

Dove isn't really a brand that I have tried for hair care, when I think of dove I tend to think of shower gels and deodorants. I don't really know why I bought this- I hadn't done any research and I'll be honset, I just liked the look of it! All I can say is I am glad I did. It has become a staple in my hair care routine now. I tend to spray loads on when on when my hair is wet after washing and then if I feel my hair needs a bit of moisture in between I'll just spray more on. 

This leave in Conditioner is a dual formula that you have to shake up before you use. Being oil based I was a bit worried that 1) it would weigh down my hair and 2) that it would make my hair look greasy. I was pleasantly surprised when it didn't and it really helped smooth down my hair and give it that injection of moisture. 

The Dual Formula contains Nutri- Oils such as Almond, Coconut and Argan Oil allowing the spray to smooth and seal the hair. 

Dove Nourishing Oil Care is available from most Drugstores and supermarkets for £3.59 for 200ml. I have been using mine for a couple weeks and I have hardly made a dent and I use it all the time!

Brand Spotlight| Liz Earle

Liz Earle is a brand I have known about for years. I remember being younger and my nana using. It's something that every time I smell the Cleanse and Polish it takes me back. I personally didn't start using any Liz Earle products till about 2 years ago and I have never looked back. Being a blogger I tend to get excited about other products and stray away from products that I know and love. This happens a lot with my Liz Earle products but something always drags me back to them. 

The Cleanse and Polish is one of my all time favourite cleansers. I know I can turn to this when My skin is playing up- weither its having a break out or dry skin I know I can turn to my Cleanse and Polish and it will sort me right out. 

Cleanse and Polish has Cocoa Butter to help soften, smooth and moisturise and Rosemary, Chamomile, Hops and Eucalyptus to tone, soothe and purify. 

The other thing I love- It takes every scrap of make up off; even pesky They're Real Mascara and that is a battle (well I think it is anyway!)

Skin Tonic* is another staple in my routine. I have to say this is something that I don't necessarily say I have to have this/ notice a huge difference between when I do and don't use it but I still love it. I love how refreshed my skin feels after using it. Now for some people this may not be an option- using something that has no value in your routine but it's something I am willing to do, it's something I have repurchased several times. 

The last thing in my current Liz Earle collection is the Brightening Treatment Mask*. This the the newest addition to my little collection; I actually got this in the Nottingham Bloggers Meet goodie bag (Thanks Liz Earle!) along with a Cleanse and Polish and Skin Tonic. Quite Luckily this was actually the mask I wanted to try the most! I love this mask as it's just so quick and you get instant results. You leave this mask on for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes then just buff it off with a Muslin cloth, and just leaves you with clear, brighter looking skin. 

What are your favourite Liz Earle products? 

Music Monday #2

It's time for another Music Monday and I'm pretty excited about this one. This is a band that I found a couple months ago and I just haven't stopped listening to them. I like my chill out music- which I think you will come to realise but I like these guys as they are still chilled but have a bit more tempo to them. They actually remind me of Lana Del Ray; the production of  the songs is pretty similar.

I also love the fact that they do everything in black and white. It's an awesome vibe.

The video is for their most recent song Sweater Weather. 

Brand Spotlight| Illamasqua

Illamasqua was a brand I put off trying, purely because I'd never seen anything in the flesh and I was worried about paying out for something that could potentially be something completely different to my expectations. 

The First things I got from Illamasqua were the Skin Base foundation and Hollow Cream Pigment and I actually got this off a blog sale so I was a bit happier paying out for these as it wasn't as much as full price and if I didn't like them, it wasn't that much of a loss. Now The Skin Base is something that at the moment I just can't get it to work for me. It always looks to cakey on my but I love the coverage and the colour is a perfect match. So if any one has any suggestions or just how you apply this, please do let me know! 

I wasn't dissapointed with the cream pigment either. I use this in two ways: The first way is as a cream contour and the second is as a cream shadow/ base. This stuff blends so nicely and stays put!  I really want to pick up the shade Androgen, which is actually in the sale just trying to debate if I can afford it. 

The next product I bought when I was in London for the London Bloggers Meet. I have been eyeing this colour up for so long but like I said before I didn't want to buy before seeing it in the flesh. The shade I ended up buying was Hussy. Which the illamasqua site describes as a 'Bright Candy Pink', I personally think it has a more peachy shade but it is pretty bright. I love how finely milled and pigmented this blush is; it means you need the tinniest amount so this will last so long.  At £18, they aren't cheap but I really think they are worth the money. 

The last product in my little collection is the Precision Ink in Abyss*. No exaggeration  this is the most amazing eyeliner ever. Seriously. I have really hooded eyes so I always struggle with transferring but this will not budge. I wore this for 16 hours once and by the end of the day it was still there. I also love the applicator- it's really thin and makes it so much easier to create flicks.

I also bought a cream foundation in the sale but as I don't have it yet I can't say much about it, apart from its on its way. 

Is there anything from Illamasqua you think is a must have?

Naturally Gorgeous by Charlotte Vohtz| Book Review

So today I am going to be talking about what I think is a cracker- I hope you agree or that it at least gets your interested. This most certainly sparked an intrest for me. 

Naturally Gorgeous* is a book written by Charlotte Vohtz, the owner and founder or Green People- an organic skincare and make up brand. Green people is a brand that I have been interested in for a while- well and just organic beauty in general but I have kind of put it off because of the cost of changing my  whole routine and how I see it is; if I'm going to do it, Ive got to change everything. There is no point me changing just my skincare if I carry on using non organic make up, if you see what I mean?

Thats enough of that, like I said I have wanted to try Green People out for a while and I have actually tried a couple of samples of their products and have been very impressed. When a friend gave me this book, I was intrigued because for me this was the first ever bit of literature on Organic living that I would read and I am actually very glad it was. 

The information is laid out simply and in bite size pieces so its something you can flick back and fourth to and not get lost or overwhelmed by all the new information. 

The Book is split in to different sections (Inner beauty, Skin, Face, Body, Hair and Sun care), all of which go into basic information to help you achieve an organic life style. I will say this book isn't going to give you all the information you would ever need but it really is a good place to start and especially for someone, like me, who knows nothing about organic eating or beauty. All in all it's just a good book for information about how to look after yourself, obviously it's trying to promote Organic products but there are still break downs that could be used with non- organic products. 

An example of this is the fact that there are breakdowns for how to care for different skin types. It's things like this that made the book such an ease to read. I didn't feel like I was being told I HAVE to live organic to be healthy but more that it is the best option but I'm not going to be force into it- if you see what I mean? 

The above pages are to give you a rough idea of how the book is laid out. Like I said before it's pretty simple but a great way to start. 

I highly recommend this book for anyone just starting out or even just if you want a bit more information on how to look after yourself better. You are sure to take something away from this book. I know I learnt so many different tips from this book. 

Naturally Gorgeous can be bought off the Green People Website for £9.99 

Hand Luggage| What I Am Taking

If you don't already know- I am off to America in a couple of days. If you follow my twitter I apologise for my constant going on about it! I'm excited ok?

Everyone seems to do these kind of posts when they go away and I though well why the hell not, I'll do one as well! 

So basically this is what I will be taking with me! My Bag is from Topshop, from a couple months ago and I love it. As it's pretty square I can fit quite a bit in there and I also like the fact it has both a long strap and the two shorter ones. 

Firstly I've got the really important bits- My travel wallet, from Accessorize, which has my passport, money, travel documents etc, my purse which is so old and something I am hoping to replace while I am out there, my glasses and my phone. I also forgot my sunglasses but they aren't anything special, just a £1 pair from primark!

Next up we have the technology section- My iPad which has my movies, music and books on so saves me having to lug around books etc, my camera- which is actually my sisters but I didn't really feel I would need my big camera and this takes pretty decent pictures. Next up is my Powerbee, which is my portable charger that I can use on my phone, iPod and iPad. I usually get two charges out of it so hopefully it will be enough to keep me going. Then I have my iPod, you know just incase I dont have enough music on my phone and Ipad and then my Urbanears which I LOVE! They are good at noise cancelling and other people can't hear your music either and to top it off stupidly comfortable. 

Here you can see the couple of brushes I will be taking(I have more in my luggage) : RT powder brush, Sigma F80, Ecotools Angled brush, Sigma E05 and RT Deluxe Crease brush

Right so I wasn't planning on taking this much  make up on the plane but my skin seems to hate me and after months of behaving and looking lovely, it seems to have decided, 3 days before my holiday it wants to go tits up and have a breakout- so I am currently sporting two giant, horrible, angry spots on my chin and I could cry. So yes originally I was only going to take a little pot of the Dior BB cream but now I need something with a bit more coverage! I went for Double Wear as it's still quite light whilst sill giving good coverage.The other bits are pretty simple and just enough for me to look human and alive when I get off the plane. 

I will, like most people be doing the standard thing of taking all my make up off and putting a mask on (despite my hideous state- sorry to the people around me!) So I've got some Simple wipes- purely to save on space. Tooth brush and Tooth paste before I get off the plane so I don't meet Sarah with stinky breath, little perfume sample- again so I don't smell! Then for the face I have a Eve Lom Hydrating serum sample, Clinique Moisture Surge and Origins Drink Up Intensive. Now three hydrating things I hear you ask?! Well my skin HATES AC so I'm preparing for that. I've also got my Apivita Lip Balm, which I am fully addicted too, Hand Sanitiser, Origins super spot remover and a Birchbox mirror.

So there you go, that is my hand luggage! I will be doing a couple of updates here and there while I am away- if I have time too but if you want to see pictures along the way you can follow my Instagram, which is candycaneheart or follow my twitter @sophie_swinney

Music Monday #1

I thought it might be nice to start a new feature, something to break up all the beauty. My other love in life is music. I love live music, if I am honest I'd rather spend money on gig tickets than beauty. I don't think there is anything nicer than loosing yourself in music. I often find myself just lay on my bed , headphones on listening to music and just getting lost in it. 

Music Monday isn't going to be anything amazing but me sharing an artist/ song that I have been loving. I hope to allows you to find a new love as well. 

This week it's the turn of Ed Prosek, a californian now living in Brighton. He actually comes from a Classica background and it's something I think you can hear in his music. His music is pretty much perfect for my 'laying on my bed getting lost in the music' times. I hope you enjoy him as much as me.

My #NottsBBMeet and #LDNBBMeet Haul

I don't think I went to mental at the meet ups with the stuff I bought. My mum was very kind and gave me some Birthday money to spend which was so kind of her. 

In Nottingham, the one place I knew I had to go was Space NK, there isn't one near me and I much prefer shopping in person than on the internet, so I took full advantage of this and bought a couple of bits. I got the Living Proof Prime Style Extender, which is basically a hair primer. You apply this to damp hair and then style as normal. It is a weightless styling product that is meant to lock in you style until the next time you wash. I have only used this once so far and can say it did really help! Next up I bought the Phyto 7 Hydrating Day Cream, which is a hydrating cream that you can add to wet or dry hair. It is contains with 7 plan extracts to helps control frizz, static and help repair slip ends.

The last thing I got from Space NK, was actually my birthday gift and I have fallen completely in love with it! It's The Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel. I have been applying this morning and night and I have noticed such a difference in my skin - It looks brighter, more even and just generally healthier. 

Next Up was Mac- I knew I wasn't leaving without buying a lipstick! I have had my eye on so many lately but I was either going to go for Girl About Time, Impassioned or Ravishing. I went for Impassioned, which is described as an amped up fuchsia. Its such an amazing colour and a prefect bright for the summer. 

Next up was Lush where I bought the Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips. I originally bought this for my sister but she bought herself one the same weekend, so what a shame I had to keep it. I have already been through one pot and I love it so much. It's perfect if you tend to get chapped lips and need to get rid of the dead skin (ew but true)

Last stop in Nottingham was Boots and lets be honest- I knew I wasn't leaving without at least three products, as the 3 for 2 offer was still on (It would be rude not to aye?) Firstly I picked up the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil for Coloured Hair. I have been using this every time I have washed my hair since I bought it and I am in love. I have noticed that my hair looks Shiny and just generally more healthy. Highly recommend this product. Next up I got the Revlon Colour Stay Foundation, a product I have heard nothing but good things about. The staying power of this foundation is incredible. I wore this to London, one day last week, and it stayed put all day and looked just as good when I got home. The last item, I got free in the 3 for 2 offer, was Essie Luxedo, now this is not a particularly summery colour but I just love it so much and I thought why not eh? it's free!  

Above you can see the two bits I got from London. As soon as I met people before heading to the #LDNBBMeet we went to & Other Stories. I have heard so many great things about this store and couldn't wait to check it out for myself. I don't this it is quite as good as everyone makes out but I still wasn't disappointed. There was plenty that I wanted but I controlled myself and just bought the Luminising Powder in 1. I am really impressed with this product. It's light on the skin, applies well and has great lasting power and it was only £10. After & Other Stories, we wandered round a couple of other stores and then headed to Illmasqua. Now I have looked lovingly at Illmasqua for a long time but as I hadn't seen anything in person I wasn't sure. So when we went into the store, I was like a kid in a candy store! I controlled myself and only bought a Powder Blush in Hussy and I can see this starting a long and expensive love affair ;) 

So that is everything I have bought! What have you got your eye on at the moment? 

The #NottsBBMeet| Day and Evening sections!

So after months of planning and talking about it, it finally happened- The Nottingham Beauty Bloggers Meet was on Saturday! Like I said in my wish list post, I haven't really done that much towards the planning apart from emotional support and helping Sophia decide on certain things but it was still so nice to see all the effort that, Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady, Jessie from The Bode Boutique, Amiiee from It's Amieeism and I, put in all worth it. It was so nice to see everyone having such an amazing time.

I started the day off pretty early- 4.45am to be exact! Usually the time I am going to bed. Once ready I headed out for the train. I managed to have a little kip on my train from Canterbury to London. Once in London I met Clair from Bags, Bows and Boots and we headed for a our train to Nottingham. I am not very good with meeting new people so it was nice to arrive with some one and it was so nice to meet Clair as we have been chatting on twitter for a while. 

Once in Nottingham, we met up with lots of other people and then headed over to the Lions in the centre of Nottingham to meet everyone else and WOW was I surprised to see so many people! It was a bit overwhelming! 

After everyone arrived and we all got our name tags, courtesy of Amiiee. My group headed over to Kiels for a little chat and to have our individual skin consultations (I will be doing a more in depth post on this part of the day later on) while each of the groups where in Kiehls everyone went off and did so shopping. At Kiehls we were treated to some bubbly and Cupcakes. There was some interesting eating of the cupcakes going on here, aye Amiiee?! ;) 

 I so wish I could of spent a bit more time with some other people. I did get to meet loads of lovely girls but I wish I could of spent more time with everyone! 

After having to say goodbye to so lovely ladies at about 4pm, some of us headed up to T.G.I's. Everyone was welcomed to their goodie bags. It was like a second Christmas. I don't think any of us who were organising ever dreamed that the bags would be this good! but they just kept getting bigger. I even knew what was in them and even I was shocked. We had a lovely meal and it was so nice to sit down and chat. Especially to some girls I hadn't had the chance to talk to during the day. 

I'd like to say a big thank you to the staff at T.G.I's they managed so well with 30 of us, I am not going to lie I was so surprised  During the meal we had a couple of Giveaways and I was lucky enough to win the big prize!- The Enrapture Encode Totem Styler! I was in shock for a bit! 

It was so nice to see some of my close friends and also meet some people that I have been talking to on twitter for so long! It feels a bit weird that it is all over now *sad face* 

I will be doing a more in depth look at the goodie bags as I'm sure you will want to see ;) But here is a little sneak peak! 

Also look at this! We got #NottsBBMeet trending! 

I'm sorry I can't remember who I stole this off!

Id like to again, thank all the bands that were involved for their generosity and to every single of one you who came along. It was an amazing day!

#NottsBBMeet Wish List

As some of you may know I was helping Sophia , along with Jessie and Amiiee, organise the Nottingham BBloggers meet up- when I say helping I mean giving words of encouragement, I wasn't very useful! But none the less it is finally here! I finally get to meet some new awesome girls as well as see a lot of my close friends. 

Even though I don't have a lot of money, I thought I would put together a wish list of some of the things I'd like to get. Some of these I haven't actually seen in the flesh, so it might be that I don't like them as much when I do but we will have to see! 

1. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer- I love my Nars Corrector but because it was only a corrector it doesn't give much coverage as I wanted to try something that would cover my dark circles! I've heard nothing but good things about this concealer, my only concerne is I don't know if it will go light enough for my pale skin! 

2. Phyto 7- I'm forever looking for products that will hep with the condition of my hair. I am changing my hair colour soon and having a good cut so hopefully that will help. I have been eyeing up Phyto for a while now and there are so many product that have caught my eye, Phyto 7 being one of them. Phyto 7 is a silicone free leave in conditioner. My hair needs moisture and I wanted a product that isn't going to weight my hair down but give it the nourishment it needs.

3. Stila Convertible Colour in Petunia- This is something I have been eyeing up for a while but I've always preferred powder blushes but lately I have been loving my Topshop cream blushes so I want to add to my collection. This is a perfect shade for colour and a colour that I seem to be going for a lot more than my usual brighter pinks. 

 4. River Island Tie Dye Dress- I'm starting to try get some bits for summer, especially for my trip to America (hopefully) and I just love this.

5.Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Carina- I already have one of these in Aria and I love it. They have awesome staying power and are so pigmented. Again I wanted a more summer colour and this is perfect! Lovely Coral shade.

6.Urban Decay All Nighter setting Spray- This would be a repurchase for me. I got this for Christmas a couple years ago and it lasted me ages. In the summer i get pretty hot and my make up never lasts with out this so as soon as it gets hot this becomes a necessity! 

7. Urban Decay Naked 2- I don't know what it has taken me so long to get this but I am dying to buy this! If I don't buy this at the meet up I will definitely be buying this when my loan comes through. I can't wait any longer! 

8. L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil- Another thing I have put off! I had an Ojon Oil a while back and loved it and the other week I got an Argan Oil from Primark and I love what Oils do to my hair, so I thought it was about time I invested in a full sized product and I have heard good things about this one and I like that they have one specifically for coloured hair.

9. River Island Flower Smock Dress- More clothes! Not that I need anymore but this just caught my eye. This isn't something I need but I thought I would add it in anyway as I will be keeping an eye out for it! 

So there we go, that is my wish list! Not too long; I could of added more but I showed some restraint! I am so looking forward to meeting all of you that are coming and if you have done a wish list let me know, I would love to see them

La Roche Posay| Effaclar Duo And Effaclar K

Once again, I have fallen for the hype and bought some products that have been everywhere lately. I did debate about if I should actually write this post because there have been so many around that is would pretty much be the same information that everyone else has put but then I just thought screw it! I like these and I wanted to share my views. 

Firstly, I thought it would be a good idea just to explain the difference between these two products:

Effaclar K- is a renewal fluid which gradually exfoliates the skin, reducing pore size and helping regain a soft smooth complexion 

Effaclar Duo- is a corrective fluid that unclogs pores and reduces the appearance of imperfections and purifies pores. 

Now, I haven't been using this long, well in terms of skin care. I usually like to give products at least a good 3 months to see if they do really work with my skin. I have been using these products for 5 weeks now and I can honestly say I have noticed a difference. I wouldn't go as far as saying these are 'holy grail' products but I can say they have made a huge difference but definitely enough for me to see and I am happy with the results. 

I have noticed a lot of people being put off my the back that is does make you break out at first (some people have and some people haven't) and I won't lie- it did break me out at first but I think thats both of the products just getting all the crap out of your skin. The second thing I have notice people saying is it's really drying. My skin becomes dry really quickly so to stop this, I used both of the products as a treatment rather that a moisturiser so I put these on clean skin at then moisturiser over the top. 

I have been using the Effaclar K at night as our skin does most of its regeneration over night and as this is kind of what this product does I thought it would be more suited for night time use and then, you guessed it, the Effaclar Duo during the day. 

This is just how I do it personally but you can use either both day and night or even just one of them, depending on what you feel your skin needs.

Like I said this hasn't completely cleared my skin and made everything perfect but I have noticed a reduction in the number/size of blackheads on my nose (something I have struggled with for years) and the rest of my skin is a lot smoother and more refined.

I know there has been a lot of mixed reviews but I think you need to remember, with skincare, nothing works over night - you have to give products a chance to work. It's not like make up you can pretty much test once and tell if you like it. I don't know if this is the case but it seemed a lot of people rushed out to buy these products (especially the Duo) and had a review up after a couple uses. Just something to remember 

What are your thoughts on these products?

My 'Go To' Make Up Look

I didn't want to call this my 'everyday make up' because well it's not. I like to switch things up but there are days where I just can't be bothered, or if I am going away this is the make up I'll pack. It's quick, simple and I don't really have to think about it. 

It's not an overly complicated look and it only takes me about 10 minutes to do and I think (correct me if I'm wrong) it leaves me looking 'done' but not OTT 

My foundation can change depending on how my skin is that day but lately I have been loving Mac Studio Sculpt. It's quite full coverage but so light on the skin that you barely know it's there. For concealer I used the YSL Touché Éclat under my eyes to brighten, as I had to say goodbye to my beloved Bobbi Brown corrector and then the ever famous Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer for a little more coverage under the eyes and on any blemishes. 

For Highlighter I have been loving my Benefit High Beam again, I just dot a little on the tops of my cheek bones and on my cupids bow and pat in with my finger. My fail safe blush is Mac's Pink Swoon.  I cannot get enough of this blush! I must wear this at least 3 times a week (more than any other blush I own). Also I forgot to add it to the photo (silly me!) but for powder I have recently been using Rimmel's Stay Matte all over my face just patted in with the ELF powder brush

For my eyes- I have been testing out the Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer, which I'm not totally sold on yet. For this look I used Mac's Naked Lunch all over the lid and then Satin Taupe in the crease and blended out. For my brows I used Mac's Charcoal Brown- which is a little dark but I quite like dark brows and I don't think it's too OTT (again please correct me if I am wrong!) and then to finish off couple layers of Benefit They're  Real- which I frigging LOVE.

Lastly is lips; This is something that I change depending on what I am wearing but my kind of 'go-to' colour at the moment is Mac's Brick-oh-la a gorgeous brown/orange red. It really is the perfect colour that goes with most things so I know I can just chuck it on! 

Birthday Wish List

So this is a bit premature as my birthday is still over a month away- 24th April- put it in your diaries ;) but a couple people have asked me what I want for my birthday and in all honesty, there's not much I am dying to get. I still would love to get the Naked 2 but apart from that I was a bit stuck. 

After a bit of internet searching, I managed to actually find quite a few things that I like so this is it. 

1. ASOS Dress- what can I say I like my dresses and this is so cute and I can just see myself wearing it during summer with some sandals and a denim jacket. 

2. Sims3- I stole my sisters sims for a little bit while I was home and I got completely addicted. No better way to procrastinate than by playing Sims! 

3. Mac Vegas Volt- I have been eyeing up this lipstick for so long but held off buying it because I wouldn't be able to wear it till summer. Another shade I have been lusting after is Girl About Town. 

4. TopShop High Waisted Denim look Jeggings- I am mainly a dress girl and I hate jeans but I like the look of them so this is kind of a compromise. I just want something comfortable so I can wear my big jumpers

5. Illamasqua Generation Q Gleam- The prettiest highlighter! I still don't own anything from illamasqua and it's a brand that I am always lusting after. I love the look of most of their blushers and it was a toss up between them and this highlighter and seen as how I have 2 other blushers on this wish list I though I'd show you the highlighter.

6.River Island Denim Jacket- i have wanted a denim jacket for so long but all the ones I have seen seem to come up short and I just fell in love with this one, especially with the collar! 

7. Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow- After seeing Kate from Gh0stparties talk about these blushers so much, I have fallen in love. The shade in the picture is Liquifuchsia but Tresabelle and Tansoleil are equally beautiful colours. 

8. Topshop Stripe Top- This is the top I have been going on about on twitter for ages. I want this top so badly! Yes I know it's maternity but that just makes it even more comfortable! ha. I admit it's nothing special but I am just drawn to it.

9. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Flush- My second most wanted item after the Topshop top but alas we cannot get these here in the UK unless you want to pay silly prices. I will have to wait till I go over in the summer! 

There we go, that is my birthday wish list!  

What is on your wish list at the moment? 

Confessions of a Beauty Blogger

I got tagged by the lovely Aly from Wonderland Beauty to do this Confessions of a beauty Blogger tag and to be honest, I don't usually do tags but I thought why the hell not, just more of me talking and actually finding out about why I actually blog. Also be sure to go check out Aly's blog and the blogs of the girls I have tagged below! 

When did you start your blog?

I officially started my blog on January 1st 2012 but to be honest, I didn't really start what I would call properly blogging till the April.

Have you had any past online presence before (Other blog, YouTube)?

Not really. I had Tumblr for a couple years before but even that I was a bit fair weather with. I used to go on it whenever I was bored but didn't really keep up-to-date with it.

Why did you start a blog?

None of my friends are really into beauty and when I started I was living with 2 boys and a girl (that I didn't get on with) so I had no one to talk to about all things beauty related. Now i'm living with 4 boys I need it even more! 

When did you become serious about starting a blog?

Like I said before I feel I properly started blogging in April last year, but even now I don't think I am at my full potential (without trying to sound really big headed). I think if I actually put the effort in I could be in a much better situation than I am in now. I just have to put this thinking into practice! 

What was your first post?

Something completely none beauty related- well it was an introduction post but after that  I wanted to do a 365 day photo challenge. It lasted about 3 days! ahah oops! 

What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?

The time to write posts! I always get excited about products and write a schedule of when I am going to write posts, but I never stick to it. I am so unorganised. It's the one thing I wish I could change! 

Where do you see your blog in one year?

I'd love to be doing the same thing, but on a bigger scale. I really want to see my blog grow and gain a bigger loyal readership. I know I am always harping on about the fact that I don't care how many followers I have, as long as people are enjoying my blog I am happy but it would be lovely to have an awesome and big readership. I am happy with whatever though. This is a hobby and one that I love and I will be happy as long as I can continue. 

What is the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?

The people I have met because of blogging is by far the most rewarding thing about blogging. I have made some life long friends through blogging and I couldn't be happier about it. I love being able to talk to say many people about something that I love and that fact that people come to my blog to see what I have said- well that makes me very happy.

What is the most discouraging thing that happens to you?

Sometimes I loose faith in the blogging community- there is a lot of hate and it upsets me. I am lucky enough to have not had many instances of this but I know a lot of people that have. I guess that is what you get when you have a lot of people with the same goal, especially as it is mainly girls. I'd love to see people stop going out of their way to put other people down but I guess you get people like that in life and they should be ignored as they are not worth the time. 

What's your lasting inspiration or motivation?

Other blogs! I read so many and I am constantly coming across so many amazing blogs. Even with the downs, this blogging community is amazing and generally so so supportive. I guess this is what drives me because I want to be a part of something special. 

I would like to tag the following lovely girls.....

♥ Sarah from New Modern Damsel 

♥ Marvelle from Blog Of Shadows

♥Carlyn from Smoking Peaches

♥ Jessie from The Bode Boutique 

♥Amiiee from Its Amiieeism 

And well I suppose if you want to do it as well ;)

If you do this Tag then let me know, I'd love to read them! 

Geradium Lipstick| Lime Crime

So I was pretty excited by this...my first ever Lime Crime product! Its one of those brands, again, that I have admired for a long time but just never got round to actually buying anything from them. I've lusted after the Valentines lip lacquers for so long but they always seem to be sold out in any stores that are UK based and I refuse to pay £10 for shipping from US. When I saw the new lipstick shade Geraduim, I jumped at the chance before it sold out and I really haven't been disappointed! 

I have fallen head of heals in love with this lipstick. It's formulation is to die for- it's so soft and creamy, glides on the lips, doesn't dry out, has great staying power and is so pigmented you only need one swipe over the lips and you are done. Lime Crime describes this lipstick as a 'Coral-pink that is so intense, it might be radioactive'. Now I am not going to lie, after seeing the promo shots, I thought it would be a lot brighter but part of me is actually thankful it's not. It's bright, don't get me wrong but I had seen people call it neon, which is a little scary. 

Also can we take a second to just appreciate how gorgeous the packaging is? I mean it has a bloody Unicorn! Plus I like the fact that is is sturdy, as I am so clumsy! 

So there we have, my first Lime Crime product! First of many I imagine. I know for certain that in the summer when I go to Imats, this will be the first stall I will be visiting!

You can Geradium and other Lime Crime products at Cocktail Cosmetics

Are there any Lime Crime products you love?

Don't Panic!

Taken from Pintrest

So I may have had a mild panic yesterday when they announced the fact that Google Reader is being scrapped. I have 300 blogs on my reader to find every single one of them and move to a them to a different platform, will be a huge task and one that I will get ever so bored doing and end up giving up half way. 

With Google Reader being scrapped as part of 'Operation Spring Clean' a lot of people are panicking that GFC will go as well. There are been strong rumours about this for a while now and it seems a lot more possible now- all to force us to move to Google+ (Damn you Google) so I write this to plead with you to go follow me on a different platform. Like a lot of bloggers, I have worked hard to gain the followers that I have and so I propose to you that you lovely lot go follow me on a different platform. I'm only part of two others but hey, thats better than nothing!

Bloglovin- This is the platform I actually use the most now and all new blog I follow through this and I will be importing the blogs I have on Google reader onto this. I personally think the interface for this is a lot nice and easier to use. You can get to my Bloglovin by clicking here

Update- Bloglovin' has now put up a link for you to be able to import blogs from Google reader, making it a lot easier! 

SheSaidBeauty- Another awesome platform and one that doesn't get enough credit. Along with being able to see all the new blog posts from the people that you can follow, you can add products to your 'Beauty shelf'- here you can say if you; Love, Want or Own a product, you can also rate the product and also see percentages of people who would repurchase. They also recently added a feature that means you can see where you can buy products and actually click straight through to the site and purchase said item.Along with that the also have a Magazine and their favourite picks. All in all a pretty awesome site that lets you create a profile that is unique to you and a one stop site that you can look up reviews in an instant. When I had a meeting with them with Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady we were told about so many awesome projects that they have in the pipeline and I can tell you now this site will become the one stop place for beauty. So after that essay- You can also follow me on SheSaidBeauty here

Other than those two there is also Twitter and Instagram although you won't be able to see exactly when a blog post goes up on them, I am pretty active on all and I love to see you all on them as well. 

Please feel free to leave any of your links down below! and remember don't panic!