Whats in my Carry On?

Hey!

Just a quick post today because I still have a million things to do before 3am tomorrow! If you've read my other posts, you may know that I leave for Russia tomorrow, and I've still go a few things to pack. So, I thought I'd show you whats in my carry on;

Documentation:
♥ Passport [obviously!]
♥ Vaccinations records
♥ Information pack
♥ Itinerary
♥ Passport photocopy [very important!]
♥ Purse - with GBP's, US Dollars and Russian Roubles. Plus cards & EHIC Card


Beauty:
♥ Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter
♥ Tissues
♥ Victoria's Secret body spray- Tease
♥ Mirror
♥ Makeup brushes
♥ Hand sanitiser
♥ Everyday makeup [see previous post]
♥ Hairbands & pins
♥ Hairbrush

Medication:
♥ Inhaler
♥ EpiPen
♥ General medicines for pain, hay fever, and illness
♥ Plasters

Other:
♥ Hat, Gloves & Scarf [not pictured]
♥ Umbrella- its Russia!
♥ Granola bar [breakfast!]
♥ Mints
♥ Glasses
♥ Water [not pictured]

I think that's it. As far as the bag, I'm taking my Black Studded Alexander Wang.....replica :) Everyone has it, its the Duffel one from eBay, so I'm sure you've seen it. Its  great size and takes a lot of weight, plus it will go with all my outfits.

 

I won't be blogging for the next week, but when I return I'll blog about the trip. Have a great week! :)


What do you bring in your carry on?

 

X

 

MUA Lipsticks

Hey!

As you can probably tell from the title, today's post will be about the MUA lipstick range. Now if you don't know what MUA is, it's an incredibly cheap brand of makeup in the UK [I'm not sure if it's available in any other countries?] that can be bought mainly in Superdrug. The majority of their single products are £1 - single eye shadows, lipsticks, eyeliners for example, and you can purchase full eyeshadow palettes for just £4. The only items I've tried are the lipsticks, bought on a total whim last year sometime. I have 6, and in total they cost...£6! I THINK I bought them online [along with some other items] but I may have bought them in store, I can't quite remember.

To be honest, most of the colours I very rarely use, purely because I don't think the colours are amazing. The deep red and the purpley pink colours are gorgeous though!

 

 

 

The MUA lipsticks are slightly smaller than average, but one thing I love about them is the packaging. For a £1 lipstick, you'd expect the cheapest designs ever, and although these ones are by no means lavish, they're fantastic for the price! The black-with-sliver-writing is attractive and the clear plastic cases at the base [filled with the ACTUAL lipstick!] is fantastic as you can see the definite colour of the product, without having to open the lid.

 

 

From left to right: Shade 1, Shade 2, Shade 4, Shade 5, Shade 6, Shade 12

 

Shades 1 (a deep red) and 2 (a purpley colour) are my favourites!

 

Overall the MUA lipsticks are fantastic value. No, they aren't of the highest quality, have the most exquisit packaging or more beautiful colours, but they do have some pretty shades, good pigmentation and are amazing for those on a budget. You can't go wrong!

 

 

Have you tried the MUA lipsticks?

 

 

 

 

X



A Few Last Minute Things....

Hello!

In a few days [4!] I will be leaving for RUSSIA! I'm staying for 1 week, in both Moscow and St.Petersburg, and so with the count down to departure underway and the majority of things packed- we're leaving at 3:30am!- its now a case of picking up last minute bits and making sure I have everything I need.

So today I popped into town to do just that! Yes, this is a completely random, unrelated post, but I like that :) I had to get a few boring things; hairbands and lip balm [wild I know] but also needed to get two, reasonably inexpensive blankets because I hate sleeping in hotels beds. Its strange, but I hate it- especially since the hotel's we're staying in are...not too appealing; massive, old Soviet monsters with over 2000 rooms!

Luckily, I managed to find 2 blankets in the Primark home section for only £3 each. They're cheap, thin and will probably not survive for much longer than a week, but they'll definitely serve a purpose.

 

 

Actually, they're really sweet! As you can see from the picture, they're a deep red colour with cute little owls patterned all over. I think they'd be really great for winter- the red colour is gorgeous.

A positive of them being super thin is that they will fit easily in my suitcase and won't take up very much room- that means more space for souvenirs!

Whilst browsing in Boots, I managed to redeem a voucher for a free sample of Lancome's new skin corrector that I'd found in a recent issue of 'Red' magazine. It's a new product from the Lancome range- Visionnaire Skin Perfecter- meant for those over 35 who have wrinkles and sun spots, to be applied at night. Hopefully, I won't need this product just yet, so I'll pass it on to my Mum to try out. It's a nice little sample nonetheless!

Hope you enjoyed this random post about some very unrelated items?!

X

Everyday Make-up Products

Hey!

So today I thought I'd talk a little bit about my everyday make up products. When I say 'everday' I don't actually mean every single day of the year, I mean most days, since there are quite a lot of times when I don't wear any make up at all. That being said, when I say 'everyday products' I mean what I generally wear on a day to day basis- nothing fancy or for going out, just simple, natural make up that enhances your features.

So what are my 'go to for everyday' products at the moment?

FACE
♥ Nivea Daily Essentials Tinted Moisturiser - I use this as a concealer! I don't wear foundation or concealer everyday, and I only really wear it if I'm going out, purely because I don't really need it and it actually affects my skin really badly if I wear it often. I put a tiny bit of the tinted moisturiser under my eyes, around my nose and on my cheeks.

♥ Mac Mineralise Skin Finish Natural in Light-Medium. This colour is slightly light for me, so when I repurchase I may get a slightly darker shade. Still, its a fantastic product and I apply all over my face with a kabuki.

♥ 'Famous' by Sue Moxley mineralise bronzer in Tahiti. Gorgeous colour, a little bit of shimmer and looks perfect on the cheekbones.


EYES
♥ Two colours from the Urban Decay Naked Palette- 'Sin' all over the lid and then 'Smog' in the crease. I then put a small amount of 'Virgin' under my brow as a highlight.

♥ Soap and Glory 'Supercat' Extreme Eyeliner in 'Carbon Black'. What can I say, this product is as black as can be, has great staying power and is very easy to use!

♥ Body Shop 'Define and Lengthen' mascara in ' 01 Black'. This is the only mascara I swear by. I use it everyday and have been doing so for several years- I honestly love it!


LIPS
♥ Mac's 'Flustered' lipstick with Natural Collection's 'Toffee Cream' [I spoke about this combination in another post!]. Obviously its quite hard to say what lip products I use everyday, as they change a lot, but at the moment- this is what I've been wearing.

 

 

 

 

What make up items do you wear for everyday?

 

 

 

X

Saturday's Delights- New Look and H&M

In yesterdays post, I said that I'd just been shopping and had a few new items to blog about but because of bad lighting, I couldn't take any pictures. Today though, I've taken some photos, so here's what I got....

As much as I absolutely am in love with my new bits, I'll admit that they're not my usual 'style' of clothing- which is great because I'm really trying to step outside my comfort zone and experiment more with clothes.


The striped tee and Pink Floyd tops were from H&M:

 

The striped tee [6.99] is higher at the back than at the front and looks amazing tucked into jeans. I can also see myself wearing it will tight leggings, disco pants or high waisted shorts. Its made out of a gorgeously soft material and feels lovely and silky. I've been on a stripes kick recently and have been loving striped tees, so this certainly floats my boat! [UK Size 6]

The Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon is definitely something new for me! I surprised myself by picking it up but completely fell in love with it! I adore the prism design and the fact its slightly different to my usual choice of tops, plus its made of the same silky material as the striped tee. Also, since my Dad is a fan of Pink Floyd- it reminds me of him :) This top was £14.99 and I purchased it in a size 8 - it was the last Pink Floyd top in the entire shop!

Then from New Look I picked up some jeans-

These camouflage jeans have stolen my heart. I originally saw them on Raych3KinzX's youtube channel [go check her out!] paired with the maroon coloured jumper from Primark I showed in a previous post about chunky knits and thought she looked AMAZING! So I bought them too! They'll look amazing with so many items and I can't wait to wear them next week in Russia :) They cost £24.99 and were purchased from New Look.

What do you think?

X

Calvin Klein 'Shock for Her'

Today I was planning to do a post about some clothes I've just bought, but by the time I got home there was little natural light left and so the pictures would be terrible. It will be up tomorrow though!

Instead I thought I'd talk about something I love- perfume! Over the past few years I've built up quite a collection of different scents and I love to wear different smells with different outfits. Although I've heard some people say that you should wear the same perfume all the time so it becomes 'your scent', I personally like to change up my perfume a lot, and have quite a few permanently on the go.

I love all my perfumes, but as with anything, I have certain ones which I wear more often- usually depending on the time of year. At the moment I've been wearing my Calvin Klein One 'Shock for Her' more than ever; its sweet, spicy scent being perfect for Autumn.

As much as I love trying new smells, I'm terrible at describing them and so here's the experts opinion;

 

 



''A juicy, flavourful floriental that warms into a sexy skin musk.

CK one Shock For Her opens with a fierce bouquet of passionflower, pink peony, and jewelled poppy flower.

The intensity deepens with blackberry, jasmine and narcisse flower drizzled with a liquid accord.

The addictive signature finishes with magnetic ambers enveloped in vanillin and patchouli, wrapped in second skin musk.''*

 

 

Sounds delicious doesn't it?! Well it totally is! I've been wearing this loads over the past few weeks and will definitely continue to over the winter months. Whats more, it lasts for hours [unlike many perfumes which smell gorgeous when first sprayed, but fade after an hour!] but isn't too strong or overpowering.

 

 

The white packaging with pink writing is girly, fresh and clean and the bottle is strong so won't smash anytime soon. It looks beautiful on my dresser. The only slight annoyance I have with this perfume is that because it comes with a screw on lid that you replace with the pump, the pump head is then exposed and so it doesn't actually have a lid. Its absolutely no big deal, but if I had one problem, it would be that.

 

 

I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful scent from a friend for my birthday last January, but if you would like to purchase it yourself, you can find it at Debenhams for £34.00 (100ml). Honestly, its worth it!

 

 

 

X



Daily Hair Products

My everyday haircare products never change. And by that, I mean I've been pretty much using the same shampoo and conditioner since I was 10. Of course I've tried different brands and formula's over the years, and have enjoyed them, but I always seem to go back to the same one.

Tresemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo & Tresemme Re moisture Conditioner.

 

Why I love Tresemme:

 

♥ The smell! Oh my goodness, even if you dislike the formula just buy it for the smell. A fruity, floral mix of scent that makes your hair smell delicious!

 

♥ Its very deep cleansing and gets rid of oil and product build up with just a small amount.

 

♥ The re moisturising conditioner makes your hair silky soft and reduces dryness.

 

♥ The price- the bottles are huge and, compared to many other brands, very inexpensive for the amount of product you get.
 

♥ Availability: you can find Tresemme products EVERYWHERE!



 

 

 

So after I've washed my hair using Tresemme products, I like to apply a small amount of the John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum:

 

I dab a tiny amount onto the ends of my hair and then brush through with a wide toothed comb. It really does cut down on frizz, smooth away fly aways when dry and makes hair soft, soft, soft!

 

 

If I'm blow drying my hair, I'm always careful to apply some heat protecting spray. I like the Charles Worthington one:

 

 

I use these products every other day, when I wash my hair and they're great!

 

 

 

What products do you use when washing your hair?

 

 

 

 

X



Benefit vs Clinique- Which Mascara is Best?

Hello!

One of, if not the most popular make-up item has to be mascara. Ranging from electric blue to the staple black, most girls rarely leave the house without perfecting their lashes. There's a huge range of mascara in the shops- varying in brand, type, price and look, and everyone has their favourite. But how do we know which is best?

Are more expensive brands better? Which colour is most flattering? Will this formula really make my lashes look longer? ...

Today I'm blogging about two very well-known, popular mascara tubes. Benefit's Bad Gal Mascara and Clinique's High Impact Mascara. Both are high end, have chunky brushes and promise to thicken lashes...but do they?

 

Clinique (left), Benefit (right)

 

I've had these mascaras for a little while but have never really worn them much as I'm not a massive fan of big brushes- I much prefer little, delicate wands. I'll use them up, of course, but if I were to repurchase one only; which one would it be?

 

Some close of photos of both mascara's on the lashes- [Clinique's mascara is on YOUR left, Benefit's is on YOUR right- not mine!]

 

 

 

 

Clinique High Impact:

 

Benefit Bad Gal:

 

 



As you can see, they both look reasonably similar. But on application, they're quite different.

 

Clinique:

 

Pros-

 

• Very black in colour- perfect for a dramatic eye.
• Soft brush, that's easy to use and not ridiculously big
• Easy to grab lashes at the root 

Cons-

• Very 'wet' - takes a long time to dry and may smudge when you blink

Benefit:

Pros-

• Doesn't smudge easily

Cons-

• Drys and clumps easily
• Huge brush that is VERY difficult to use
• Hard to get roots of lashes- I was scared the wand would poke into my eye!

Overall, both mascara's a good. They contain good quality ingredients that you can trust and the packaging is strong. However, for me personally, the Bad Gal mascara was very drying and the brush was far to big to use easily. The Clinique one was much better- I could apply it much far easier than the Benefit mascara and it coated my lashes better, the only downfall being it didn't dry for a while so smudged when I blinked.

Therefore, if I had to repurchase one, I would definitely choose the Clinique one; mainly because the Benefit mascara wand was just far to big. Of course, this applies to me TOTALLY, and everyone with all different eye shapes and sizes will have their own preference. This is just mine :)



Do you like these mascaras? Whats your favourite mascara of all time?

 X



Crazy for Crucifixion?!

Hey!

We seem to have gone crucifixion crazy! All the high street shops seem to be stocking cross accessories: River Island, Topshop, Accessorize- even Primark has jumped on the bandwagon and are following the trend. At first it surprised me a tad, to see crucifixion symbols popping up everywhere, usually in cold, metallic colours...'They look scary!'', 'Will they pull on my ears?', 'Are they offensive to people of faith?''

I've concluded: No!

I think theY look awesome, edgy and pretty all at the same time, and I am proud to say I love the trend! The cross is so simple, yet contains so much meaning- whether that be due to religious beliefs or just a personal symbol of your choice. There are so many different reasons for what people believe a cross sign represents...remembrance, love, community, religion; the list goes on.

For me though, the reason for wearing them is simply aesthetic. They look good!

Originally I wanted the ones from Topshop. Silver metal, pretty thick ones that I've seen many a person wear. However on my little ears I was scared they'd drag down and I'd be constantly concerned they'd pull through my ear or catch on my hair. Ridiculous, I know, especially since I frequently wear hooped earrings or others or a similar style.

Instead I found these ones from River Island:

They're are very similar to the Topshop ones, only these ones are golden in colour and slightly thinner/smaller.

In the past month or so, I've worn these loads of times- sometimes for day after day after day. They're great because they're not too obvious or crazy, but still look nice-  I've had quite a few compliments on them. Plus they're only £3.... bargain!


In River Island, I also picked up some black, stud crosses, to wear on days when I don't want to wear dangling earrings. These are a statement piece, but very small and simple. Again, people have said how much they like them!

These ones were even more of a steal- £1.50!

My final crucifixion (lovely word isn't it?!) piece is one I've had many years- I got it when I was Christened. Its just a cross and chain, but is very delicate and beautiful. Unfortunately I rarely wear it, partly because it is so special and has such sentimental value as it was from my Godfather, but also because I've never had a reason to. Now though, thanks to the new love of crucifixes, I'll be rocking this out!

 

X

Ciate Nail Polish: Bon Bon

Hello!

As a nail polish lover, I'm always on the look out for new shades to add to my collection. Over the summer I went for vibrant, bright colours on my nails, so when I saw the pretty 'Bon Bon' colour from Ciate I didn't wear it straight away. Now that its Autumn however, I decided this colour is very season appropriate and so tried it out.

I apologise for the terrible camera quality- its night and I took this on my web cam!

 

 

Bon Bon is a gorgeous pale purple colour that is 'toned down' and very glamorous. It perfect for work or school and would honestly go with any outfit. Its one of those colours that looks like 'my nails but better' - as to say it looks natural and not at all obvious, just very polished and pretty. With a clear coat over the top, it looks incredibly shiny!

 

 

 

 

As far as the quality goes, this polish is pretty near the top. It dries quickly, doesn't smudge easily and isn't too thick (so it takes forever to dry) or too thin (so it slides of the nails). It lies flat on the nail and is smooth and sleek. I've only had this on for one day so far so can't say to what extent it chips, but so far it looks perfect still...I have high hopes!

 

 

Whats your favourite polish by Ciate?

 

 

X

 



Mac's Flustered for Fall

Since Autumn [or Fall, to our friends across the pond] is upon us, I've found that I've been changing up my everyday lip colours to suit the new season. Practically everyday during the summer I wore my staple lip colour- Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake [080] because I love the colour so much and the fact its moisturising is a definite plus for dry lips. However, now its colder, I've found that for the past few mornings I've reached for something else.

Light pinky colours are my favourites in terms of lipstick colours, but I personally think nude colours look better in Autumn and Winter. Now that's not to say I won't be wearing pinks at all, just that as far as everyday colours, I'll be rocking nuder colours more.

At the moment I am absolutely loving Mac's Flustered [Frost finish] with Natural Collection's Toffee Cream lip gloss over the top. Its not too dark or crazy, just a perfect nude with some sparkle!

Pretty!

 

 

Here's my lips with nothing on except my trusty Vaseline...

 

 

And then with just Flustered...

 

 

 

 

And then with Toffee Cream over the top...

 

 

 

 

As you can see, the gloss makes the lipstick slightly lighter, and that's how I think it looks best! Here's a swatch on my hand;

 

Although it looks quite coppery coloured, on the lips its not at all, its more sheer and glittery. The Toffee Cream is gorgeous too and at just £1.99 from Boots, its very inexpensive. Unfortunately the lid of mine has snapped off, so next time I'm shopping I'll definitely pick up another, especially since it will get a lot of use this Autumn and Winter!

 

 

What are your favourite lip colours at the moment?

 

 

X











Warming Up A Winter Wonderland

If you live in England you'll definately know that the Indian Summer we were promised failed to appear and the cold weather we're having currently means theres no hope of it coming back. Now I live in the South-East and really, it was quite warm over the summer so I can't complain too much [I have cousins in the North though, and apparently it was horrible- us in the South definately got the longer straw!] but its certinally chillier, and therefore my summer wardrobe of strappy tops, festival dresses and glads has sadly said goodbye...

HOWEVER, all is not lost. The imminent arrival of winter means chunky jumpers and thick coats, and I am pleased, pleased, pleased. Since I am going to Russia in 2 weeks (SO excited!), stocking up my winter wardrobe happened a little earlier this year, and as it will be freezing cold, thick knits are a must.

So I thought I'd share the 2 chunky jumpers I purchased recently, and my new coat. I can't wait to wear them!

 This is black, duffle style coat from Next and cost £52. Yes, that is alot of money to spend on one item, but its an investment and something I'll wear for years. I got it in a size 8, and although a UK 6 would be more appropriate for my size, I decided to go with the slightly more roomy one as I'll be wearing it over many layers of hoodies and jumpers, and then when I return from Russia I'll wear it over my suit. Its absolutely gorgeous, looks amazing with all outfits and is so warm and thick. The pockets and hood are perfect too. I spoke to the lady in Next and she said that most of their other coats of similar fabrics and quality were all in the £70-£80 region, so considering that my one was a steal!

This burgundy/maroon knit is not something I'd usually go for, but after seeing it in a youtube video I had to check it out. I love the colour, its softness and the oversized warm feeling. As its a little big, I'll tuck it into jeans and probably wear with long boots. It was £12 from Primark.

Finally, I have this beauty from New look. Since I've been obbsessed with stripes recently (especially navy and white) I fell in love as soon as I saw it. £19.99 worth spending!

X