Tis the Season....

As it is now the first of December, it is generally acceptable to truly get into the Christmas spirit. For some, this means putting the Christmas tree up and opening their advent calendar. For others, it means navigating local town and cities in force to partake in the 'sport' of Christmas present shopping!

Having watched two great Christmas films this afternoon, Nativity and Arthur Christmas, I am feeling a little more Christmassy than normal on the first day of December and having seen my friends fetching festive jumpers this afternoon, I think a trip to Primark is in order to see what's on offer for myself!

Christmas is an exciting time for many but it can also be rather stressful. Now that our family are older it doesn't hold quite the same magic it once did but I'm sure with the next generation of little ones it will be exciting once more. There is something so lovely in seeing children's faces light up in delight and its those moments that Christmas is all about.

                    A lovely festive mantelpiece spotted at the weekend  -
                                            wouldn't mind this at home!



Here's to a fun December full of joy, fun and love :)

Eye C U

Two of my most used beauty products are black liquid eye-liner and mascara. These products are great for creating a simple but striking look and if I was forced to only ever wear two items of make-up, these would be the products I would choose.

Over the years I have stuck to Rimmel's Glam' Eyes Professional Liquid Liner which although has a very thin brush, is still fairly easy to use. It is good if you want to play around with your eyeliner thickness and how winged you want your eye-make up to be and at a very reasonable cost, its a key product for creating day to night looks.

           Rimmel London - Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Liner in Black Glamour - £5.29



Max Factor's False Lash Effect Mascara is a staple in many girls make-up bags and it really  'does what it says on the tin' which is to create full lashes that can be mistaken for false lashes (minus all the faff of glue!). This mascara has been a favourite of mine for many years now and although its not the cheapest of high-street mascaras out there, I feel it is well worth the price as it creates thick but not clumpy lashes with just a few easy strokes. Having tried some other brands, I always find myself going back to this mascara and it really is a firm favourite of mine!

                         Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara in Black - £10.99

Have you tried these products? What are your staple eye make-up items? :) Xx

Keeping Close and Drifting Apart

The transition of leaving university and moving back home is a funny one. You get used to the freedom and independence of living away from home and doing what you want, when you want. When I first moved back home after graduating I wondered how and if I would get used to living with my parents again but as time has gone on its not so strange to feel 17 again! (plus my parents are very relaxed and more like friends rather than of a nagging or strict nature - thankfully!). 

The hardest part of leaving university is not being able to see your friends so easily but I really like to think its true when people say you will make some of your life-long friends at uni (my dad has managed to keep in close contact with some of his uni friends even without the beautiful wonder that is modern technology - so that gives me some hope I can do the same!)

It should be easier than ever to keep in contact with others now that mobile phones and social media sites are used by so many people but it is still inevitable that you will drift apart from people you were once quite chummy with. This is a natural part of life but I think that making the effort to keep in contact with old friends (whether from school, uni, work etc.) really makes the difference between someone being part of your everyday thoughts and someone existing as just a memory.

We can all think of people we were once fairly close with but no longer are and it can make you feel a tad guilty that maybe you didn't make enough effort to stay in touch. Of course this process is a two way thing - that person is probably thinking the same thing about themselves from time to time!

Maybe part of the problem in this modern era is we feel we are keeping in touch with people as we see what they are up to on sites such as Facebook and Twitter yet we may not have had an actual conversation with them for weeks, months, maybe years! Sadly our culture seems to have got lazier.

Do you feel it is too easy to rely on social media sites to catch up on what people are up to rather than keep in contact the old fashioned way? Xx

Summer Loving (beauty edition)

 

 

 

Although I didn't go away this summer on holiday, I did treat myself to a few new beauty products (I normally stick to the same tried & tested products which does save time and money as you know what works for you personally but it isn't half as fun as trying new things!)

 

I discovered some of these products on beauty blogs and I really find this a great method of finding out about the latest products and whether they are worth buying!

 

Elemis fresh skin - skin clear mattifying moisturiser £20

 

I first had this moisturiser as a sample size which came free with Glamour magazine back in March. I used it all up and was toying whether to buy the full product (as it's not the cheapest moisturiser out there!) however after I finished using the sample size and wasn't using any moisturiser, I noticed a difference in my skin and felt blemishes were more noticeable. I also liked the fresh, citrusy scent of the moisturiser and decided to treat myself to the 50ml bottle. I'm glad I did as I feel this product works for my skin and Elemis state their fresh skin range is aimed at younger skin which I feel is a positive factor as with the huge range of moisturisers available its hard to know which will suit you and some of the products aimed at the more mature age range may not suit younger (and often spot prone) skin. 

Bourjois -  Bronzing Primer £9.99

This product has been featured on many blogs and I have jumped on the bandwagon! This primer comes in a 'universal shade' so should suit everyone. I tend to wear this under my foundation but it can be mixed with foundation instead or used as a bronzer/contour. I like the light, creamy consistency of the primer and it adds a nice glow (not just for summer but now autumn is here). The lid states the primer has an 'addictive fragrance' and whilst it is a nice scent I have to admit I'm not sat here smelling it excessively like an addict! (although I have probably done this with other products...)

Sleek - Blush in Rose Gold £4.49

This bargain blush has just the right amount of shimmer and can be built up for a stronger colour (as its not the most vibrant shade with one swish of your blusher brush.) The image above doesn't show its true beauty however along with the Sleek eye-palettes, I find I have to use my teeth to open the case as its not so easy and can chip your nails quite easily!  Having said this, I am now tempted to try some more Sleek blushes as for £4.49 you can't go wrong really!

 

Essie - Nail Varnish in Fiji £7.99

I usually wear an array of different colours on my nails but happened to see this popular shade standing all on its lonesome at Boots so thought I'd give it a try (and provide it with some company!). Fiji is a white/pale pink shade which looks smart for everyday/work wear. I have been impressed with its lasting power and although I have had a few chips, on the whole the polish lasts about 4 days before any really noticeable chips appear.

MUA - Undress your Skin Shimmer Highlighter £3

This purchase was another case of "it's on its own its lonely/it must be a good product!". I had been looking at highlighters for a while when I spotted this highlighter at Superdrug. This product is a real bargain although judging by online reviews it is rather hard to come by. I use this product on my cheekbones, under the eyebrows and down my nose. I will use it in the daytime but I often save highlighter for evening looks (as the Sleek blush above is quite shimmery). This highlighter is highly pigmented and an absolute bargain at £3.

 

So there we are - although not necessarily summer products, the items above have all been purchased this summer and I will happily carry on using them (and buy many more beauty products I'm sure.... what was I saying about tending to stick to my favourite/tried & tested products?!) Xx 

 



 

 

The future and big decisions

I have to admit, graduating from university this summer was one of my proudest moments as I worked hard for my degree but now comes the decision most new graduates face - what to do next!

After all the fun of the student lifestyle and 'comfort' of the education system (a weird thing to say I know!) you are suddenly left facing the 'grown-up' world and it feels like some pretty big decisions have to be made. Many of my friends have agreed that it is all rather overwhelming.... Some have continued their studies whilst most are trying to figure out what to do next (and adjusting to life back at home with their parents around - we all miss the independence of living away from home and back then, if you wanted to eat crisps for dinner, that was acceptable!)

I've come to think of my time at university as one brilliantly fun, emotional but rewarding,  life changing chapter of my life and am finally accepting that my student days are over and it is onto the next chapter (this has taken a while though!). What the next chapter holds in store is quite uncertain at the moment and for now, small decisions are like stepping stones to ultimately something bigger (finger crossed!)

As a graduate you are faced with many choices whether it'd be completing some voluntary work, an internship or work experience, temping, or a full-time job (adjusting to the 9-5 lifestyle is something I think most students and graduates are a tad fearful of!). Whilst there are many options, the competition also seems higher than ever and standing out amongst hundreds of others is a scary thought .

Something I read online when I first finished university has really stuck in my mind - don't plan for the next 40 years (as a society I think there is a pressure for young people to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives) but instead simply take a few years at a time and try and make short-term or near future goals. This makes the whole career thing far less daunting and it can be the case that people *think* they are going to like X career but when they try it out they decide its not for them at all! Or perhaps you know an older person who has had a complete career change and now does something that makes them truly happy.


For now I'm going to take each little step at a time and keep an open mind. Keeping a positive attitude is half the battle I've been told.

What are your thoughts on leaving school, college or university and working out what to do next? Xx

Lip Butter Bandwagon

From reading a number of beauty blogs I came across the Revlon Lip Butters which have been raved about by many. This brilliant lip product comes in a wide range of colours and the creamy texture is not quite a lip stick nor a gloss - I'd describe it as a cross between a lip stick and balm with the shine of a lip gloss. The lip butters are moisturising and easy to apply - even without a mirror when needs be!

I have collected five of these lip butters so far but am sure I'll be adding more to my collection soon! I own the above shades and my first buys were the shades strawberry shortcake and tutti frutti which remain personal favourites.

(Tried to sort the sample pictures below to appear in the order they do in the images above but with no luck! Will work these things out in time I hope!)

Right - Tutti Frutti 015 is an orange/coral shade which looks rather scarily bright in the tube but is in fact very wearable.

Below - Strawberry Shortcake 080 is a pale pink shade which I recently purchased as felt I needed a paler pink in my collection. Looks nice with smokey eye makeup.

 

Above - Macaroon 096 is a rosy pink colour which is perfect for everyday wear and looks nice when paired with brown eye makeup.

Left - Sweet Tart 090 is a gorgeous bright pink shade which like Tutti Frutti looks scarier in the tube than when on the lips. I love this shade!

Right - Candy Apple 035 is a soft red shade which can be built up for a more striking look. That is something I love about these lip butters - you can apply lightly for a glossy but colourful look or build up the product for a more dramatic look.





I find I reach for these lip butters over most of my other lipsticks/glosses and although you do have to re-apply after a few hours they are so easy to apply its not too much trouble. The Revlon lip butters retail for £7.99 but are often on offer (which is dangerous as I am always that much more inclined to nab some more!)

What do you make of the lip butters? Xx

Nothing beats a cup of tea and a sit down...

Hello and welcome to my first post :)

I think its safe to say that nothing quite beats a cup of tea and a sit down whether you are stressed out, trying to think things through, trying to wake up, with good company or simply wanting to relax. It brings people together but also is the perfect companion when you are on your own.

As clichéd as it sounds, this is something that my family have long believed in and is something I'm sure will be passed onto further generations (sort of like an heirloom - but making sure the milk is in date!) But in all seriousness, this tradition is something that I have enjoyed my all whole life not least when I settle down to read through my favourite blogs online, cup of tea loyally in hand.

Having spent  2+ years reading blogs and having always enjoyed writing, I felt now is the time to make my own (and as a recent graduate I now have the time to do so - besides the endless hours spent looking at jobs/career options/youtube....).

I envisage this space as somewhere to post my thoughts on life, fashion and beauty and if a few people can enjoy my blog then I know I'm doing something right! However I also see this as a place to ramble a bit and release my creative side a bit so understand if I'm the only person who will look at it!

If you have read this then hello, I'm presuming you may like tea too - and a sit down!

Beth Xx