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Thursday 31 January 2013

January Favourite's

January 2013 Favourites Wella SP Luxe Rimmel Smoothie Star Lee Stafford Benefit Sugar Crush Scrub
January 2013 Favourites Wella SP Luxe Rimmel 107 Lipstick Smoothie Star Lee Stafford Benefit Sugar Crush Scrub
January 2013 Favourites Wella SP Luxe Rimmel Smoothie Star Lee Stafford Benefit Sugar Crush Scrub
I just wanted to say thank you for all the support and lovely feedback on my last post (read it HERE)! I'm so glad lots of you agreed and found the post really helpful. Thank you for all the comments and tweets that were sent to me; especially the ones where you told me your personal experiences related to the issue. It goes to show that comments about weight really can affect people. I read every single one and was actually surprised at some of them where they had come across really insensitive people making comments about their weight! This is why this whole issue upsets me a lot, people just don't think before they speak! So I just want to thank every one who read that post and I hope it made you think about the subject! Anyway, on with my January favourite's..

Welcome to the first favourites post of 2013! 
After Christmas, I've had so many lovely products to try out, it was actually quite hard cutting it down to just 6 'absolute favourites'. As you can see, one of my last month's favourites has sneaked its way into this post too, but I also have 5 new products to share with you!

Wella SP Luxe Oil* LINK
You may have seen this in my Ombre Hair Care Routine a couple posts back and how much I loved it! I had to feature it in this month's favourites. This is a luxurious hair oil that contains Argan, Jojoba and Almond oils to make you hair super soft and nourished. I have definitely noticed my hair is so much nicer and sleeker since using this. It also smells amazing, basically the perfect hair oil! I will have a full review of this product up on my blog soon, so keep and eye out!

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate in 107 LINK
This lipstick has had a lot of blogging and YouTube hype recently, so I'm sure you're all aware of this beautiful, deep red lip colour. This is the perfect Winter shade and I've been absolutely loving wearing this on nights out and even during the day! It applies smoothly and evenly and looks perfect on its own. It's the kind of lipstick that lifts a neutral makeup look into something so pretty.

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Milk LINK
 This is the product that has made a reappearance in my favourites. I have used this every single day throughout January and I still can't get enough! The smell of this body lotion is amazing, like cake, and lingers on your skin for hours. It also sinks in really quick and leaves you feeling super soft.
I LOVE this product!

♥  Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Split Ends Serum LINK
This is another product that was featured in my hair care routine post and I must say, I've really been enjoying using it! My split ends have noticeably improved and it leaves the ends of my hair feeling in much better condition. I'm so glad I've tried this brand and can't wait to pick up the Hair Growth Treatment mask, I've heard amazing things about it!

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer LINK
For Christmas I got a little sample of this eye primer. I've used it everyday since then and it's still going strong! It evens out the skin under and round my eyes as well as keeping my eye makeup on all day. I probably won't buy it in the full size, but I am enjoying this whilst I have it!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub LINK
Again, another product that has had a lot of raving reviews recently and, I for one, agree with every single one of them! The smell of this body scrub is so lovely, with scents of lime and sugar it's such a sweet and girly scent. It has grains of brown sugar and macadamia which gently exfoliate your skin and leave you feeling incredibly soft. I've used this product about twice a week in the shower for a month and I still have loads left!

What are your January favourite's?

Monday 28 January 2013

"She's too skinny..."

She's Too Skinny Weigth Self Confidence Blog Post Belle-amie Beauty Blog
Photo from weheartit.com
Now, this post is a bit different to what I usually write about on my blog, but quite a few people have talked about the subject of weight/ self image recently. A few weeks ago, something happened that made me want to discuss this topic and put some of my opinions across.

"She's too skinny, I feel like I'm going to break her... "

This is a comment that was not only said to me, but also in front of a large group of people for them all to hear. It was also said whilst the person was giving me a massage, so having this said to me whilst they were touching me, was horrible. To me, it was literally one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. It felt like everyone's attention was on me and my body. You may have read my new years resolutions post where I talked about the fact I'm not a very confident person; these are the sort of comments that really knock me back and make me feel crap about myself.

I know some people will think "Oh get over yourself, it's just a passing comment", but the reason I'm writing this post is to hopefully raise some awareness to the fact the term "skinny" is an insulting and hurtful word. Personally, I find it just as hurtful as calling someone "fat". I've never seen why it's socially unacceptable to call someone "fat" in passing conversation, however it is okay to call someone "skinny" and expect them to take it as a compliment. "Skinny" is a horrible word in itself and is linked to other words such as: boney, scrawny, undernourished & skeletal. Now, you wouldn't go up to someone and say "Oh you're looking really boney today"  or "Here have a burger, you look undernourished" and expect them to smile about it? No, I didn't think so.
I also know for a fact that if she was working on a larger person, she wouldn't have said "She's too fat, I can't find any of her muscles" because it's known the word "fat" (and the whole sentence) is seen as an insult. If larger people don't want to be called "fat", why should slimmer people have this word "skinny", which is just as hurtful but means the polar opposite, thrown at them? It's probably all down to the fact that now days people want to be "skinny" and the word has lost it's real meaning. I'm sure what people mean is "slim" or "thin", as I really don't think anyone wants to be classed as "skinny".

I would also like to point out that I have been always been quite a slim person and I have never ever been on a diet. I eat everything a normal teenager should, crisps, chocolate, pizza and I am naturally this way. I also eat enough for me and have a variety of foods including pastas and other carbs which are meant to gain you weight. I think it boils down to the fact I have a fast metabolism which runs in my family. I find it really hard to gain weight and then keep it. This is why I hate being classed as "skinny" as this is who I am and I really can't do much about it. It's even worse when people actually say to me "Ergh, gain some weight, there's nothing of you". I would love to be more curvaceous and have clothes fit me properly instead of hanging weirdly and being in between sizes. I hate how certain parts of my body look and that I'm always freezing cold, even in the summer. I find it annoying that I have a small appetite and come across rude when I can't eat the food someone's gone to the effort and cooked me. It's just who I am and I can't change that.

But saying all that, I'm happy with who I am and I'm not sorry I can't "have something of me" (if that even makes sense) just to please others. If I have always been like this, surely me and my body are used to it (and I will definitely not be broken when touched). If you feel like you're in the same situation, just remember you are you and that is special. As long as you're healthy then what does it matter what size or weight you are. That's what helps make who you are and why should you feel down about that!
 People need to accept that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and no one needs to be labelled as "fat" or "skinny", it's a waste of time. It's who they are and what makes them unique from everyone else. The world would be a boring place if everyone looked the same.

 I know this is a ranty type of post and I usually post positive things on my blog. I promise the next post will be happy and back to normal ♥

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Saturday 26 January 2013

Review | Tangle Teezer Compact Styler

Tangle Teezer Compact Styler Golden Goddess Review Belle-amie
Tangle Teezer Compact Styler Golden Goddess Review Belle-amie
Tangle Teezer Compact Styler Golden Goddess Review Belle-amie
Tangle Teezer Compact Styler Golden Goddess Review Belle-amie
Tangle Teezer Compact Styler Golden Goddess Review Belle-amie

Tangle Teezers have been on the blogging scene for quite a while now, having huge hype that this is the new way forward for taming tangled hair. Since ombreing my hair, I've noticed my hair knots and tangles constantly and I've had my eye on trying this product to see if it can deal with my problem hair!

I have the Golden Goddess Tangle Teezer which is black and gold, making it very stylish and good looking. As the brush shape is curvy, it's very easy to hold and sits perfectly in my hand as I brush through my hair. This Tangle Teezer also comes with a "click-on, click-off" cover to protect the teeth from dust and fluff so it's ready to use every time. This means the Tangle Teezer is perfect to pop in your hand bag, gym bag or suit case as it's ideal for using on the go.

The special thing about these hand sized hair brushes are the innovative teeth that makes brushing through knots and tangles effortless. This also means it minimises hair breakage and pulling as the teeth can easily glide through the hair leaving you with smooth, tangle free hair. Before I tried the Tangle Teezer, I was using a wide-tooth comb to brush my hair instead of a normal hair brush as I've heard these are better to use. However, the comb constantly tugged at my hair and got stuck on any knots meaning it was breaking and pulling at my hair, basically ruining it! I was so surprised at how easily the Tangle Teezer ran through my hair and was quite annoyed I had put up with my comb drama for about 2 years! After using this for 2 weeks, I've noticed my hair doesn't break or fall out as much as it used to. For me, this is great as my hair is already very thin and I don't need it any thinner!

The Tangle Teezer is great to use on dry and wet hair. I use my Tangle Teezer before I wash my hair and if I'm planning to straighten my hair properly. I always find it leaves my hair smooth, soft and tangle free. I absolutely love it! I still use my wide-tooth comb in the shower whilst I wash my hair as I find it doesn't pull so much when it's wet. After I've washed my hair I don't brush it and leave it to dry naturally.

Overall, the Tangle Teezer is an amazing product and well worth trying out for yourself! My hair is definitely thanking me for swapping to this and is in much better condition now it's not being pulled around as much!

Have you tried the Tangle Teezer?

Thursday 24 January 2013

Ombre Hair Care Routine

Ombre Hair Care Routine Belle-amie
Today, I wanted to share with you the products I use on a regular basis to maintain and look after my hair. Just so you know, my hair is fine, curly and ombre, so I use products that keep it healthy and defined. It's also prone to going frizzy and messy so I also use products that keep it sleek and soft. In this post I'm not going into massive amounts of detail on each product, so if you would like to see something reviewed, just let me know!

Shampoo & Conditioner
Ombre Hair Care Routine Shampoo John Frieda Colour Renew Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Belle-amie Review

Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Shampoo & Conditioner
These are the products I wash my hair with the most often. On average I wash my hair about 3 times a week, and out of that, I use this shampoo and conditioner on 2 of those occasions. This shampoo and conditioner are designed for damaged, over processed and coloured hair. As my hair is ombre and prone to breaking from all that bleach, these products are perfect for keeping my hair feeling soft and staying strong. They also smell amazing which is always a winner with me!

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo & Conditioner
What a mouthful! On the third time of washing my hair, these are the products I use. These are designed to neutralise any brassy tones and brighten blonde hair by using them 3 times a week. As my hair is only ombre and not bright blonde, I find it best just to use this once a week to keep my hair bright and from turning ginger. These products really do work and whenever I use them, I get compliments about how bright my ombre is and whether I've bleached it again! Nope, I just used these little beauties. The smell is nice, with a slight hint of lavender, however my hair doesn't feel soft after using them and I have to rely on a leave in conditioner/ hair oils after.

Treatments
Ombre Hair Care Routine Treatments Wella Sp Luxe Oil Pantene Night Oil Aussie Leave In Conditioner Lee Stafford Serum Dove Mask Belle-amie Review

Wella SP Luxe Hair Oil* (Review) LINK
This is one of the newest editions to my hair care system and to be honest, I don't know how I lived without it! This hair oil contains Argan, Jojoba and Almond oils to nourish, define and make your hair super smooth! I use a tiny bit of this on the mid-lengths to the ends of dry hair to make it feel amazingly soft. It also smells of dolly mixture/ perfume, which is gorgeous!

Pantene Pro-V 12 Hour Night Therapy Oil Replacement
I picked this up from Poundland a while ago and is one of my best beauty bargains! I use this on the night before I wash my hair, so whilst I sleep, my hair can be replenished with oils to make it soft and smooth in the morning. I then wash it out but my hair remains really soft! I keep this on the mid-lengths of my hair and focus on the ends as that is where my hair is the most damaged. Definitely recommend you picking this up if you see it!

Aussie Limited Edition Luscious Long Leave-In Conditioner
Aussie is one of my favourite hair care brands, their products leave my hair soft and smelling amazing, which is what this conditioner does! I use this after my John Frieda shampoo and conditioner to make my hair soft again. I spray about 8 pumps over the lengths and ends of my hair and leave it to dry naturally. It contains Eucalyptus and Avacado oil to pamper and nourish your hair. Lovely!

Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Split End Serum LINK
I use this after washing my hair with the Lee Stafford shampoo and conditioner to treat my hair even more. I place a pump of this into the palm of my hand, rub my hands together and run it through the ends of my hair. I've been using this for a month now and my split ends have definitely improved!

Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Regenerating Mask
Whenever my hair is feeling really dry and damaged, this is where this product kicks in! About once a week I will apply this mask all over my hair, tie it in a turby-towel and leave it for about 4 hours. After I rinse it out, my hair is feeling soft and repaired. This is also great as an intensive conditioner in the shower if you leave it on for about 3 minutes!

Styling
Ombre Hair Care Routine Styling Phil Smith Life's A Beach Batiste Lace Dry Shampoo Schwarzkopf Got2b Guardian Angel Pantene ice Shine Hairspray Belle-amie Review

Phil Smith Life's A Beach Sea Salt Spray
Whenever I want natural looking waves, this is the product I go to. When my hair's still wet, I'll brush it so it's straighter, they spray my hair with this sea salt spray. Then I scrunch my hair a bit and leave it to dry naturally. This does leave my hair looking nice, but it can be a little drying.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Lace LINK
 This is my favourite dry shampoo I've tried! It smells amazing, gets rid of any grease/ excess oil and gives my hair loads of volume! I'm sure everyone knows about Batiste, but if you haven't tried this scent, I totally recommend it!

Schwarzkopf Got2b Guardian Angel
Whenever I blow dry, straighten or curl my hair this is the heat protectant I use. To be honest, I rarely use heat on my hair as it's already quite damaged, but if I'm late and need to dry my hair quickly, this protects my hair and leave it smelling nice. 

Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Hair Spray LINK
This is one of the best hair sprays I've used. It has a really strong hold, yet can be easily brushed out afterwards. It also leaves your hair shiny and in place all day. I mainly use this to get volume at the roots without back combing by lifting the hair and spraying at the root.

Brushes
Ombre Hair Care Routine Brushes Wide Tooth Comb Golden Goddess Tangle Teezer Belle-amie Review

Wide Tooth Comb
This is just a cheap comb from Wilkinsons which was no more than £1. I use this in the shower when I'm washing my hair to get rid of any tangles and knots. My hair is always noticeably softer and tangle free after using a comb whilst washing my hair, so I definitely recommend you trying it if you don't already!

Tangle Teezer in Golden Goddess* (Review) LINK
And finally, my everyday hair brush. I use a Tangle Teezer as I find they don't break or pull at my hair when brushing. This is really important for my as my hair is thin and damaged, so I do not want to add to that by using a normal hair brush. The Tangle Teezer easily glides through my hair and leaves it soft. If I straighten my hair properly as well, this is what I use to brush it whilst straightening!

And that's it! What a long post haha! I hope this helped if you are looking for some products to add or change in your hair care system. Remember, if there's any products you'd like reviewed, then just leave me a comment!

What's your hair care essential?

Monday 21 January 2013

Evening Makeup | SHF False Eyelashes Review

Evening Makeup FOTD SHF False Eye Lashes 0074 Review Belle-amie

In my last post I mentioned that I was going out for a meal to celebrate my mum's birthday, so I've decided to show you what makeup I wore out that night! This look is a dark brown smokey eye with full, volumised lashes and a nude pink lip. It's very easy to wear and is my "go-to" type of look for when I go out during the evening.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer (Review HERE)
Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 100 Ivory
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light 2
Stila Angel Whitening Powder Foundation in Shade B
Benefit's She's So Jetset Makeup Kit: First-Class Face Powder for blusher
Benefit's Sha La Lovely Makeup Kit: brown eyeshadow for my brows
Urban Decay Naked Palette: Sidecar for the lid and Darkhorse for the outer corner (Review HERE)
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette*: Faint for the crease and Venus for inner corner and brow highlight
SHF False Eyelashes in Style 0074*
2True Effortless Eyeliner in 01 Black
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara in Superjet Black (Review HERE)
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 206 Nude Pink

I decided to go with a pair of SHF false eyelashes in the Style 0074 as I found these very natural looking yet still gave my lashes added length and volume. The lashes themselves are quite thin, but have a criss-cross design that helps give a lot volume and definition to your lashes. They also have smaller lashes in between the larger ones which also helps with volume. I did have to trim them down a little bit so they would fit my eye as I don't like lashes going right into the inner corner. But this does mean they should fit quite a few eye shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, I couldn't use the adhesive that came with the lash set as I couldn't pierce the seal with the lid (I'm far too weak haha) to get the glue out, so I used one that came in my beauty kit that's by Salonsystem.
These lashes are meant to be lightweight and comfortable to wear which, at the start, I did agree with. However, after about 2/3 hours, the edges of the lashes were beginning to dig into my eyes and became really uncomfortable. I had to take them off! I was quite annoyed by this because I loved the way they made my lashes look. In the end I just reapplied some more eye liner and mascara and left my look at that.

As much as I liked how these looked on me, I don't think I'll be trying these lashes again or the rest of the range as they are either very dramatic or colourful. I think these lashes would be great for fancy dress or for making your eyes the feature point of your makeup. But personally, I don't think these are for me.

Have you tried SHF false eyelashes before?

Saturday 19 January 2013

Nails Of The Day | Chelsea Manor Street

Nails Of The Day Nails Inc Chelsea Manor Street Nail Polish Review Belle-amie
Nails Of The Day Nails Inc Chelsea Manor Street Nail Polish Close Up Review Belle-amie
Nails Of The Day Nails Inc Chelsea Manor Street Nail Polish Label Review Belle-amie

After being really impressed with the Nails Inc. polishes that were free in Glamour magazine last year, I was so excited that I was able to get my hands on a new polish! This is Chelsea Manor Street which is a gorgeous gunmetal, metallic shade with silver shimmer. We're going out for a meal for my mum's birthday, so I thought this would be the perfect nail polish to add a bit of edgy glam to my outfit.

This polish looks great with just one coat, but I applied two coats for a fully opaque colour to my nails. The finish is a glossy and shimmery metallic effect which I think is perfect for this time of year. I find the formula of this polish to be thick and creamy which is exactly what I want as it means it applies even and opaque to the nail. The brush is really good as well and means it's smooth and easy to apply. The only downside I find to these polishes is that they don't always last a long time. Sometimes they peel or chip easily, which means I find myself repainting a nail after a couple days. Today, I used the top coat from my Nail Doctor System to see whether this will help it last longer.

I'm completely in love with this polish as the colour is beautiful for nights out because it's quite strong and eye catching. I can't wait to pick up my next Nails Inc. polish, I'm especially loving the look of Brook Street (can't resist a good coral)!

What's your favourite Nails Inc. polish?

Wednesday 16 January 2013

Rimmel London Lipstick Collection

Rimmel London Lipstick Collection Belle-amie
12, 16, 101, 107, 206 Nude Pink & 058 Drop of Sherry
Rimmel London Lipstick Collection Swatches Belle-amie
Swatched in same order as above

Rimmel lipsticks are one of my personal favourite high street lipsticks. There are so many colours and finishes to choose from at such a good price. The packaging of these lipsticks is pretty standard, but the "By Kate" lipsticks do look a lot nicer. All the lipsticks I have tried by Rimmel have a nice, fruity smell to them which I really like. I only have 6 lipsticks by Rimmel (I also had Coral in Gold which was such a pretty colour, but I lost it!) but I am always on the look out for new shades to try!

Lasting Finish By Kate in 12 - This is a beautiful blood, red orange that I think is quite similar to Topshop's Infrared. The formula of these lipsticks are soft and creamy so don't dry out your lips. The colour is very bold and pigmented and I find this lipstick best for Summer days and nights out.

Lasting Finish By Kate in 16 - Again this lipstick has the same creamy formula. This is a nude and delicate pink that I think will suit most skin colours. I find this perfect for every day wear when paired with a pink lip gloss!

Lasting Finish By Kate in 101 - This lipstick is part of the latest collection out by Kate which have a matte finish. Again, this is a pretty pink shade that has been compared to MAC's Snob, which is great as an everyday lip colour. I always pair this with a lip gloss as the matte effect can be quite drying on my lips.

Lasting Finish By Kate in 107 - This has been one of my Winter staple lipsticks as recently I've been really loving red lipsticks! 107 is quite a deep pinky/ red which I think looks great on people with paler skin and brunette hair. Again, this has the matte effect finish so I usually wear lip balm before applying.

Lasting Finish in 206 Nude Pink - After seeing Charlotte from CosmeticsCharlotte72 or Just Another Beauty Blog raving about this lipstick last year, I had to try it out! This is a frosty nude pink shade which is perfect for any occasion. I actually wore this to Prom last year too, see the post HERE!

Lasting Finish in 058 Drop of Sherry - Finally another red lipstick. This is a mid-tone red with gold shimmer in it to give it a frosty finish. This is such an 'easy to wear' shade for me as it just darkens the colour of my lips and gives them a slight shimmer!

And that's my Rimmel lipstick collection! I'm not too sure what colours to pick up next, but if you have any recommendations then please let me know!

What's your favourite Rimmel lipstick?

Friday 11 January 2013

Review | Lush Bubblebeard Bubble Bar

Lush Bubble Beard Bubble Bar Review Belle-amie
Lush Bubble Beard Bubble Bar Review Belle-amie
Lush Bubble Beard Bubble Bar Review Belle-amie
Lush Bubble Beard Bubble Bar Bath Results Review Belle-amie

As you may have seen in my last haul, I picked up a few things in the Lush Christmas half price sale. This included the Bubblebeard bubble bar which cost me £2.47. This was the first product I have tried by Lush and I was really excited to see how it turned out.

Bubblebeard is in the shape of a white moustache with shimmer on. It is a reusable bubble bar on a stick which you swirl in your bath under a warm running tap to make lots of bubbles. This bubble bar has notes of cedarwood and sandalwood to create a very relaxing smell, so is perfect to use before bed.

When I went to swirl this in my bath, I was a bit worried the stick wasn't very strong, so I actually held the bubble bar in my hand and swirled it (luckily the water wasn't boiling hot!). In seconds I could see bubbles forming, and after gently swirling it in the bath for no more than a minute, I achieved the amount of bubbles in the photo above. The whole bath was covered in fluffy, white bubbles! When I took the bar out, I noticed that not a lot of it had been used and it still had the moustache shape. So I'm hoping this will last me a good amount of time. I did find it a bit hard to find somewhere for this to dry out as I didn't want it sticking to a surface and breaking when I picked it up again.
When I was in the bath, I did feel very relaxed but couldn't really smell any scent from the bubbles. I also found that the shimmer on the bar hadn't made my water glittery at all which I liked! The bubbles lasted until I got out the bath which was around 30-40 minutes later.
One thing that I didn't like about the bubble bar was the amount of time it took it to dry! For about 2 days I had this wet, white blob on a stick just sitting in my room. Maybe next time I won't place the whole bar in the bath!

Overall I did enjoy using this product as I liked the amount of bubbles it produced, however I was hoping for a stronger smell whilst I was in the bath. I'm hoping that the Magic Wand bubble bar will be better with this! Unfortunately, this is a Christmas product so unless you can find it in a Lush store in the sale, you can't buy it anymore! Hopefully they will have them out next Christmas!

Have you tried any Lush bubble bars? Which one is your favourite?

Monday 7 January 2013

Haul | Lush & Home Decor

Lush And Home Decor Haul Magic Wand Bubble Beard Bubble Bar Cinders Bath Bomb Belle-amie
Magic Wand Reusable Bubble Bar £2.47 | Bubblebeard Reusable Bubble Bar £2.47 | Cinders Bath Ballistic £1.12
Lush And Home Decor Haul Dunelm Mill Bird Trail Cushion Belle-amie
Bird Trail Cushion £7.19
Lush And Home Decor Haul BHS Lace Bird Belle-amie
Small Lace Bird Sculpture £3
Lush And Home Decor Haul TK Maxx Butter London Shambolic Lip Gloss Nail Polish Belle-amie
Butter London Lips & Tips in Shambolic £5
Lush And Home Decor Haul TK Maxx Butter London Shambolic Lip Gloss Nail Polish Belle-amie
 I've recently picked up a few things in the Boxing Day/ January sales and thought I would share them with you. As I have plenty of makeup (debatable), I decided I would focus on buying things for my bedroom and other beauty items.

The first things I picked up were some Christmas Lush goodies. Crazily enough, I haven't actually tried any of their bath products before so I decided to treat myself to a few whilst they were in the half price sale. The first thing I was dying to try was the Magic Wand Bubble Bar. Bubble bars are like solid bubble bath which you swirl in your running bath water to make bubbles. It has a very sweet and girly smell to it, which I absolutely love.
The next item I wanted to try was the Bubblebeard Bubble Bar (review HERE) which is the same as the Magic Wand but smells of cedarwood & sandalwood. Personally, to me, this smells of lavender and I think has a very relaxing smell. The final Lush product I picked up was the Cinders Bath Ballistic. This is a giant bath bomb that has a spicy, Christmasy scent. It also has popping candy on the top, which is meant to sound like a crackling fire when used.

The first home decor piece I picked up was the Bird Trail Cushion from Dunelm Mill. This was 20% off and the last one left, so I had to have it! I love anything with birds and floral patterns on and I thought this was so cute. The next piece I got was the Small Bird Lace Sculpture from BHS for just £3. I'm going to decorate my room this year with cream walls and wooden flooring, so I wanted some white, shabby-chic pieces to go with it. I thought this would be perfect to sit on my window sill.

Finally from TK Maxx I picked up a Butter London Lips & Tips set in Shambolic for just £5! The Shambolic Lippy is a sheer, plum colour with glitter in. I'm not too sure what I can wear this with as the colour is darker than what I'm used to. The Nail Lacquer, however, is beautiful and the main reason I bought this set. This polish has different sized pieces of purple and silver glitter in and looks amazing over a dark purple polish.

Have you picked up any bargains in the sales?

Wednesday 2 January 2013

December Favourite's

December is one of my favourite months of the year. I love all the Christmas and New Year celebrations, spending time with family and justifying chocolate as breakfast. I can't believe how quick the last year has gone and now going into 2013, I want to show you what products I was loving in the final month of 2012.

Topshop Lip lipstick in Ohh La La - I'm slowly becoming a huge fan of Topshop's lipsticks and decided I wanted to add to my mini collection. "Ohh La La" is a pretty coral blush colour. I love these sort of colours and wore this paired with the lip gloss on Christmas (see the look HERE). The pigmentation of these lipsticks is great and the apply really well. You can see a full review of the Topshop lipsticks HERE.

Barry M Nail Paint in Rose Quartz Glitter - this is one of the prettiest nail polishes I have ever seen! It has small and large pieces of silver and pink glitter and looks beautiful as a top coat over a nude pink nail polish, especially Nails Inc's Elizabeth Street.

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Lotion - I got this in the Soap & Glory 'The Best Of All' gift set (which itself is well worth picking up if you see one) for Christmas and I have used this every evening before bed. The smell is lovely, with: almond, cocoa, yogurt, oats and honey, it's literally my favourite scent at the moment. It leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and the scent lingers on the skin for a good amount of time. I also like how it has a pump applicator so you don't end up wasting lots of product.

♥ Real Techniques Buffing Brush - I received the Real Techniques Core Collection brush set for Christmas which I was really excited about. The brushes are soft and are great for applying makeup. The one that stood out for my was the Buffing Brush and I think it's great to apply liquid foundation. It leaves my makeup smooth, streak free and almost gives my skin an 'air-brushed' affect. I'm so glad I finally got my hands on this brush set!

Barry M Lip Gloss in Coral 11 - I can't get enough of Barry M's lip glosses. I featured one in my last favourites post and now I have a new one I've fallen in love with! This gloss is a coral colour with no shimmer and I think it goes perfectly with the Oh La La lipstick. The smell is, as always, amazing as it smells like the fruit salad sweets!

What are your December favourite's?

Tuesday 1 January 2013

New Year | Be Happy And Smile

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Photo from weheartit.com
So as 2012 draws to a close, it's time to think how you can change your self for the better for the new year. I'm not one to make and stick by new years resolutions, but this year I felt like I should start to make some. Everyone can say things like 'I will lose weight this year' or 'I will eat healthier', but sometimes it's the smaller and more personal things that can be more important to think about.
I've always been a person who let silly and insignificant things bother me and this can really impact on how happy and positive I am. I can get upset by 'throw-away' comments people make or get so stressed that I panic and get myself in a huge mess. I constantly try tell my self these things don't matter and that I should keep my head held high and keep smiling. 
Of course, this isn't as easy as it seems. 

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Photo from weheartit.com
All this probably stems from the fact that I'm not an overly confident person and I am easily affected by what other people think and say. I know many people suffer from this and it's not a nice thing to deal with, feeling like you need to please everyone in order to be happy yourself.  But this year I am determined to change this outlook on life. Everyone is entitled to be happy and no one should take that feeling away from anyone. As from 2013 I will try my absolute hardest just to stay happy and confident. It sounds so silly that it's hard for me to do, but it is and I really want to change this. I want to be a better person and someone who can keep others positive as well as myself.

Of course with all this I have my other resolutions such as:
Drink more water (key for good skin and keeping healthy)
Spending more time with my boyfriend as we hardly see each other during the week

But my main priority is to become stronger and stay positive. Hopefully 2013 will be the year I can do this. If you are someone who suffers with something similar to me, maybe make this your New Year's resolution too. Try and ignore those little comments that can hurt you. Try and look on the positive side of things more. Try and spend more time with those who make you happy and hopefully, you will feel better in yourself.
Just relax, you're allowed to be happy, with whatever you do!

I hope you've had a wonderful New Year and wish you happiness and good luck for 2013.

What are your New Year's resolutions?
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