Glamour Beauty Box: The Power List Edit

I've tried my fair share of beauty boxes in the past, but after a few months of disappointing products or tester sizes masquerading as full size products I end up unsubscribing. Glamours collaboration with Latest in Beauty The Power List Edit however, didn't disappoint! 

I spotted an ad for it in Glamours Sept issue for £18.99 containing all sorts of goodies including a full size of Nails Inc Superfood Base Coat which is £15 alone and I was planning to buy - I figured it was a no brainer a few extra pounds I got what I wanted plus a few extra products to try. The box was curated by Alessandra Steinherr Glamours beauty director so you know theres going to be some gems inside!

The box is really good value for money, 5 full size products and 3 minis all worth £92.87 for £18.99.

Eyeko Mascara in Blue or Black 

This is a product thats been raved about a lot and I've always wanted to try, so pleased I got it in the black, if its good I'll be sure to post a review!

Rimmel 60 Seconds Supershine Nail Polish 

I'm a big fan of these formulas, high pigmented colour and fast drying, the soft pink colour I got would be perfect by itself or as part of a french manicure.

Philip Kingsley Geranium & Neroli Elasticizer 

Not a brand I've used before but I'm always on the look out for new products to treat my hair and infuse it with moisture. The treatment is a  "intensive and luxurious pre-shampoo conditioning treatment is infused with 100% natural neroli, geranium, lavender, rose and orange oils. The Multi-award winning Elasticizer adds elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine to all hair types."

 Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush 

Another brand I've not bought from before but I'm keen to try, the colour I got is bright pink but blends into a natural blush.

Revlon Ultra HD™ Lipstick  

I love the Revlon colour burst sticks so I've got high hopes for this product though I wish I'd got the dark red berry shade as I think I'd of got more wear out of it compared to the pinky hue I got.

Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream 

I am so excited to try this as my skin is looking particularly tired at the moment, it claims to "visibly help reduce the appearance of signs of fatigue during the night. Visible results from the 1st morning: Skin feels intensely re-hydrated, Skin looks less tired, Complexion looks fresh and radiant" I'm hoping to wake up glowing tomorrow! 

Nails Inc NailKale Superfood base coat 

I've recently stopped biting my nails and I'm desperately trying to strengthen my nails and really looking forward to seeing if this product will help.

Vita Liberata Self Tanning Night Moisture 

The final product is one I would probably use the least so I'm not fussed its tester size, a facial tanner that promises to create a natural all over tan without drying out skin!

Theres still some boxes in stock and you can get yours here or build your own and choose from loads of products here, something I'm thinking of doing next month!

Autumn Primark Haul - September 2015

Does anyone else get to a new season and just hate all your clothes... just me?

With the colder weather approaching I used this as an excuse to the mister that I needed a trip to Primark and I bought a thing or two....

First thing I picked up was this hat, I've wanted a black Fedora for a while, perfect for hiding those bad hair days for only £8.

I picked up this little drapey number for £10, a basic polo neck which I plan to style with a sleeveless blazer and skinnys or like this. A plain white shirt for £4 and a grey jumper which I styled it over. Which I was really pleased with myself with until...

I realised I'd bought a pretend version of the exact same pairing! Oops! I'll be taking that one back. 

I also picked up some plain flats, earrings that I fell in love with on Elmartina's Instagram and a black jumper dress with zip detailing that I spotted on Sindys Instagram and had to have.

Then breaking up my palette of black, grey, white & berry I added some prints into the mix with a tartan shirt I plan on wearing like this, a leopard print cardi to add some interest to my work uniform of cami & jeans and printed trousers for a tenner.

Finally no Primark haul would be complete without a few basic buys!

Even Marie liked what I bought... well the bag anyway! What is it with cats and bags?!

I'm desperate for Primark to have a transactional website as the Primark nearest me is so small and theres always things I see on other people or in magazines I can't get in store.

Hope you've enjoyed this haul!

Thoughtful Thursday #2

Source

I am probably the worst culprit for this! 

You know the weeks where you've agreed to take on that extra project at work, help a friend move house, stop by your parents to visit them, bake a cake for the charity bake sale, clean the house, have your in-laws over to stay and also find time to breath?! Yep most of my weeks look like this, and then I wonder how the month has flown by so quickly! When people at work casually ask what I'm up to this weekend, when I get onto the fifth thing and their eyes glaze over I can tell they regret asking.

But I've realised recently after suffering crippling migraines during the first half of this year due to stress its ok sometimes to say no, be a little selfish and take that time out for you. Whether you do nothing but watch Netflix and order take out. 

In the lead up to the wedding my work to do list reached crazy new levels of long, I was planning a wedding, moving house, going to the gym 4 times a week to fit into my wedding dress and still keep up with my usual social life. It was killing me, I was killing me trying to do everything. So I learnt to say no, and enjoy a little me time and the world kept turning! 

You can certainly do anything, but can't do everything!

I hope this Thoughtful Thursday has as always made you feel that little bit better and always my Pinterest board is constantly being updated with more cute quotes and anecdotes to live by.

The Wedding Diaries: The Stationary & The Cake

Photographs from Perfect Circle Photography,

The latest wedding diaries touches on my two favourite things - cake and getting creative!

I love making things and generally being creative so designing our stationary  was something I was really looking forward to and that was before we even got in touch with Rachel from Your Love Story! This woman - my god, by the time we'd finished our first consultation I didn't just want her to design our stationary I wanted her to be my friend! She got everything I wanted our stationary set to be and more.

We kept a lot of our wedding planning secret until the invites were sent out so I really wanted our invites to make an impression as they were setting the scene of what was to come. I loved that each bit of info had its own piece within a stack neatly tied with purple ribbon, and the unique border Rachel created ran throughout the rest of the collection from the order of services, menus to the place settings. 

Rachel took our ideas and visions and made them a reality, and spared me sleepless nights staying up late cut out invites and tiring ribbon! 

The cake - another amazing creation that took our breath away. Malcom our vicar (who has been a friend of the family since I was 4) has the most amazingly talented wife, who's a baker -right? Wrong she whips these bad boys out on a weekend as a hobby!! When she offered us her services as her wedding gift to us and I couldn't imagine the 3 Pinterest images I gave her would result in this Pin worthy creation! 

Each layer was a different flavour, Chocolate, Lemon & Vanilla covered intricate designs, the bottom layer and top Peony was a nod to my bouquet and the pattern inspired by our stationary. All 4 tiers sat pride of place at the top of the staircase at our wedding venue. All our guests commented on how amazing it was and how they couldn't believe that the creator didn't do this for a living!

Stay tuned for the penultimate in the wedding diaries series next week when I talk all things presents, favours and last minute dramas!

Urban Decay Naked Palette Dupe

Urban Decays Naked palettes are somewhat of a staple in any girls make up collection, I am the proud owner of the third naked palette after my bestie bought me it last Christmas, its my go to for everything from everyday eyes to dark and smoky. Its my favourite of all the naked palettes as its rose tinted hues are much warmer on my paler skin and packaging is much nicer that is predecessors - such a sucker for Rose gold everything!

The palettes however are £40 a pop making them more of a treat than a must have in your Boots basket. Which is why when L'Oreal Paris released their LA Palette Nude in Rose for only £14.99 I figured I'd found a more cost effective dupe that I had to share!

Although there are only 10 shades in the L'Oreal palette and 12 in Urban Decay the key shades are replicated with only Liar and Burnout colours missing. All the colours are surprisingly highly pigmented and long lasting and the size makes it perfect for travelling. Plus its on offer at Boots at the moment for only £9.99 - Thank me later!

Thoughtful Thursday #1

 

So I figured along with my usual weekly Tuesday & Sunday posts I should have a regular series to throw into the mix as well that wasn’t necessarily beauty/fashion related, enter "Thoughtful Thursday". The world it seems to me is such a negative place, the newspapers love nothing more than to dramatize a situation and fear monger people, positive stories rarely make the ten o’clock news and then there’s the daily stress of work that can add to the negative outlook. I'm personally a very positive person I try to see the best in a situation, if a member of my family or a friend looks lovely or has really helped me that week I'll tell them. I am in no way "Happy Holly Homemaker" 100% of the time but I find it difficult to spend a lot of time with negative people as I don't understand their way of thinking and why I never watch the news before going to bed, yes I keep abreast with world issues but the thought of war, hurt and death before bed? Not for me. 

Pinterest for me is my happy escape from all of the above, its glitter, pinky hued images and most importantly positive quotes are where I often go throughout the day to gain a new perspective or get away for 10 mins, which is why I "Thoughtful Thursday" deserved a place on my blog. 

Each Thursday I'll post a quote from Pinterest that caught my eye, raised my mood or generally spoke to me with a little waffle underneath and hopefully it can too can motivate, enlighten or make you smile too!

So here’s todays “Good things come to those who hustle” a little Pinterest gem and incidentally my work computer desktop. I genuinely believe what you put into life you get out and if you work god damn hard every day whether that be work or personal life it will pay off. Maybe not this week, next week or even this year - but if you work hard enough someone will eventually sit up and recognise your hard work and you’ll be rewarded or what you’ve been working for will come to fruition.

So go get that job promotion, pb at the gym, new relationship whatever it is go hustle and it’ll be yours eventually. If you can’t wait till next Thursdays pick me up have a browse through my Pinterest board “Preach”.

Till then x