What I Wore - 27/10

Beth - Black Dress - Primark
Me - Peplum Dress - Primark

I think this may be the first ever What I Wore post that I've done, or one of very few anyway. I never really have the courage to show off my outfits, but I decided that since myself and Beth made such an effort I may as well. Beth is my cousin and we do so much together, so it came around that it was time for our monthly night out. We don't usually tackle Saturday nights, mainly for the prices, but decided to give it a go. Recently I've really got into wearing dresses and I seem to have accumulated quite a few over the past few months. As readers know, I used to hate the Peplum style but after buying and over wearing a jersey Topshop vest, they are now one of my big loves!

This Peplum dress was from Primark of all places, and cost me a whole £16! How good is that? It is a really long, classic style and cut but I decided to shorten it a little and just put a little tuck in each side. I ended up wearing it long later on in the night anyway, just because I was sick of having to keep straightening the hem out. I teamed it with some open-toe New Look black wedges, which I absolutely love! I can only walk in a wedge and I've found New Look do amazing styles... not to mention the price is amazing and they are so comfy. Beth's dress was also from Primark and funnily enough her wedges were from New Look too, I kind of talked her round to buying some. I really want the dress Beth has too. just because it is so classic and I think you could genuinely wear it in a number of different outfits. Anything black is always good in my books, as long as you style it properly and use the right accessories.

What do you think of our outfits?

My Christmas Daily Want #2

Real Techniques Core Collection and Stippling Brushes

I know that all Real Techniques brushes are kind of famous in the blogging world, as I don't think there's a day goes by where I don't see them mentioned in a post. I have to say I've never really been interested in make-up brushes.. I just used to use any old brush to apply my foundation and other make-up. Since I've been blogging my eyes have almost been opened to how important your brushes are to your make-up routine, so I decided to try out the EcoTools brushes. Now I do love them and everything, but I cannot help but really want these Real Technique brushes to try.

I've done my bit of research and I think these five brushes would be there best for me, not to mention the brushes I'd probably use the most. Another thing to add to my Christmas list of three items up to yet... I need to get a move on!

Daily Want #7

Tartan and Dogtooth Bodycon Dress - £35.00

Believe it or not, my best friend's mum wore this dress out last night and I absolutely LOVE it! She came in modelling it for us and I instantly said that I needed this dress in my life. Bodycon dresses have always been a favourite of mine and to be honest I only own a Peplum one at the minute, so what more of an excuse do I need? Tartan and Dogtooth are two massive prints this Autumn and I would never have thought of putting them together, but weirdly I absolutely love it. At £35 from River Island of all places I don't think anyone can complain. This may have to be a little mid-week treat for myself... I can just imagine what my Mum's going to say about my compulsive dress-buying at the minute.

What do you think? 

My Pandora Love

As I've been thinking of how to start this post, I've been looking at my Pandora bracelet on my wrist and remembering how many memories it brings up. My boyfriend, Frazer, is a typical boy in saying that "they're only pieces of silver" but I guess to me each little piece of silver tells a story or makes me remember something. Two years ago I'd been the one who was like I need a Pandora bracelet, but now its sort of turned into something really nice for me. I don't really see them as something someone can buy me for Christmas or my birthday, I see them as something that's quite memorable.

I now have three bracelets, about 20 charms and two rings. I think its safe to say this little one-time thing has become quite the collection for me. I just love how I can look at a charm and think "so and so bought me this" or "I got that on this day" etc etc. I like anything that can bring up nice memories. I know this is quite the random post but I really love anything personal at the minute, and I know a lot of people will be able to relate to this.

Are you a Pandora fan? 

My Christmas Daily Want #1

Models Own Wonderland Set - £20

I've loved Models Own for so long now, ever since my lovely freebies at the Clothes Show Live last year. I only tend to buy them when they're on sale though, or when I really want to treat myself (or my nails.) This set looks absolutely perfect for Christmas, it looks really icy and cute! I can just see my nails painted in these for all the parties and family get-togethers I seem to have over Christmas. 

My Three Favourite Hair Oils

Osmo Berber Oil Hair Treatment / Maghrabian Oil Treatment / Argania Hair Oil Treatment

I thought I'd do a little post showing a few of my favourite hair oils that I'd been using at the minute. I first discovered these about a year ago, but I would only use bargain ones that I found when they were on offer or anything, just because I didn't really believe they worked. A couple of months ago I saw that Argania Oil were wanting bloggers to review their oil treatment, so obviously I jumped at the chance and was sent three sachets to try. With in a week of using it I really began to see the benefits and the massive change it had on my hair was amazing. My hair became so shiny and smooth, even after I'd used the dreaded GHD's on it. I then received two bottles from other brands in various beauty box subscriptions and my hair oil love started from there.

To be honest, I've read the ingredients on all three of the treatments and they basically all contain the same things. The main thing these all have is Argan oil, which I didn't realise until recently that it can be used for a massive amount of things. It can be used as a moisturiser, hair treatment (obviously), then to also prevent stretch marks and the symptoms of Acne and other skin problems. When used as a hair treatment it helps restore moisture to dry hair, while also helping to repair it and help it to look healthy again. This is something that my hair always needs because it is so thin.

I've tried all three of these oils and I have to say they're all amazing... there's no other word for it. My hair has completely changed since using them, and I actually think the overall condition has improved. Amazingly, my hair also feels a lot healthier and thicker too, which is something I have always struggled with. I use the treatments by running a small bit of the oil through my hair when its damp, then blow dry it and style as normal. I have found that if you do use a bit too much it can make your hair feel really greasy, so that's definitely something to be careful with.

The prices do vary a bit as well as the sizes of the bottles, so it was quite hard for me to find prices that were easy to compare. I've posted links to all of the products below the picture, so you can all judge for yourselves, but I would definitely recommend this sort of hair treatment to everyone.

Have you tried this before? What is your favourite hair treatment?

The L'Oreal Colour Genius App

This little app I found when trailing through the iPhone app store is an absolute beauty. I'm forever trying to match my make-up to my outfits and most of the time I just go for the safe options, so when I found this I was instantly excited to try it. The beauty of this is that the app does all the work for you, which I love, then you go from there.

Basically, you take or upload a picture of your outfit to the app, where it gives you the main colours that it finds within the picture. You then choose a colour which you want to focus on, then click on which look you would like to go for. I always go for the match option, then you can switch between the three later on. You also have the option of choosing 'Day Look' or 'Night Look', which is really handy too. I did an example of each below... the top image is Day and the bottom is Night.

As you can see it gives you a lip product, eye-shadow and nail varnish to match the colour you have chosen, then based on whether you want to match, blend or clash. What is really good about the app is that it also uses products spread across the L'Oreal make-up range, so you'll find different types of lipsticks and eye-shadows instead of all the same product in different colours. You can then save the looks you like or even tweet/post them to Facebook. I think this app is so handy and is also an amazing idea for bloggers who want to show their looks and things. Obviously you could do a look, then go out and find dupes of the colours to suit your tastes. I'm beginning to really like this app and I know it will get a lot of wear in the future. 

What do you think? Do you use the Colour Genius app?

The Liebster Blog Award - Thank you!

I know this has happened once before, but, I've been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award! Thank you so much Nicola at Just an Ordinary Girl. Half way through writing this I received a comment saying that I'd also been nominated by Alina at AlinaLoves. It is such a lovely feeling to know that people are actually reading my ramblings on and taking notice, so thank you to you all :)

Facts of the Liebster Award

The liebster Award's origins are pretty mucg a mystery. Bloggers nominate other bloggers that have 200 or less followers.

It's a little way of saying "Welcome to blogging, love what you've done so far! Here's an award!".

BUT, you can't just accept the award. You have to play by the rules and pay it forward. Then you can put the award on your blog for all to see. 

The Rules 

1.  List 11 facts about yourself2.  Answer the 11 questions given to you in this post
3. Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate
4.  Choose up to 11 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate
5.  Go to each bloggers page and let them know they have won the award
6.  Than the person who nominated you and link back to their blog (See intro of this post)

My 11 Facts

1. I'm a Journalism graduate with a BA Second Class Honours (1st Divison) from Sheffield Hallam University.

2. I passed my driving test the first time round, but it took me three times to pass my theory test... explain that if you can.

3. I'm still scared of the dark, even at the age of 21. This means whenever its dark, the lights have to be on in every room I'm going into or out in the hall etc.

4. I absolutely love my family more than anything in the world. I see my cousins  aunties and uncles nearly every single day.

5. I am the worst person for biting my nails. I have to literally keep them painted 24/7 so I don't bite them.

6. I can't leave the house without my make up in my bag, or on my face for that matter. I feel a bit self-conscious when I don't have it with me. 

7. I literally make lists for everything! Its my way of feeling organised and knowing what I need to do or buy. 

8. I have an absolute guilty pleasure for anything like The Only Way Is Essex and Made In Chelsea. Do not ask me why, but I just have to watch them.

9. I'll probably regret being this soppy but I'm head over heels about my boyfriend Frazer. He really is the best thing that's happened to me and even though we annoy each other and have silly arguments, I don't half love him!

10. I literally live in skinny jeans. I hardly ever wear anything else, so I have a huge collection of jeans.

11. I absolutely love Vivienne Westwood! I have my own little collection with four pairs of earrings, three bracelets, a necklace, two pairs of shoes and a purse.


My 11 Answers

1. Describe your childhood imaginary friend
I never had an imaginary friend... I don't know if that's good or bad? But yeah, I never had one.

2. Who was your first love?
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I thought it was one of my ex boyfriends, but then from being in the relationship I am now I think that love's completely different. So, I think it depends what you class love as, and who you're with etc etc.. because I know I always think I am, but I'm actually not. Confused?

3. What is your favourite book and why?
I don't think I have a favourite book, it's more like a favourite author, which is Stephen King. I love a good thriller or horror novel so who else would it be?! If I had to choose one book, it would probably be The Shining.

4. People are too negative in life, tell me five things you love about yourself
Wow, what a question! Right here goes...
- I love my hair. I'd bleached it blonde for about five years until last year when I decided to take the risk and go dark again. I can't believe why I didn't do it sooner!
- I love how neat and organised I am, it always seems to pay off. Although I do think its a little OCD..
- This may sound funny, but at the minute I love how I seem to be able to eat everything and anything I want without it even touching me weight wise. My Mum says this is definitely going to catch up on me some day...
- I love how happy I seem to be at the minute. Everything's going how I want it to and I'm actually really loving my life, even though I may moan about it a lot.
- I can't think of a 5th one that I want to write down... I think I've done pretty well with this :))

5. Which four people would you invite to a dinner party?
Any four people? My cousin, Beth and best one, Sophie, because they literally make me wee with laughter so I'd be guaranteed a good night. Then definitely Drake because I absolutely love him! Then Joan Rivers, because with her paired with my two besties, I'd literally be on the flour crying with laughter.

6. What's your biggest life ambition?
To be honest, I'm not really sure anymore. It was to get into the fashion industry and write for a magazine like Vogue, but I'm not sure if I even want to do that anymore? Watch this space...

7. What do you REALLY want for Christmas this year?
Oh god this sounds like my Mum at the minute, she's always asking me. There's loads of things I WANT, but obviously I'd never ever ask for. I'd love some AA Disco Pants, the Michael Kors bag I've had my eye on for months and some Vans. Oh, I've thought of a few more things... wow I'm bad at this!

8. What's the biggest piece of advice you could give to yourself as an outsider? Think of a negative about yourself and how you would tell someone to change it?
Probably to not worry as much as I do about everything. I don't really have a lot of confidence with things, which makes me worry a lot. I'd definitely say to stop worrying and to put a lot more trust in people. 

9. How many lies have you told today?
None! Wow go me, but it is only 9.30am, I've got all day to change this yet...

10. Who is your cartoon crush?
I don't actually think I have one. I know I know, 'everyone has one' but I literally don't. Boringgggg.

11. What is your job title and description? 
My job title is Sales Assistant. Yep, I work in Retail, at Matalan. I work on the Ladies department with another girl, who is so lovely! She is the full-timer and I am the part-timer.


My 11 Questions to you, bloggers

1. What is your favourite blog to read at the minute? (Please share the link for us all)

2. What is your favourite trend at the minute? Or what do you love wearing?

3. Do you have a favourite film? If so, what is it and why is it your favourite?

4. Who is your style icon, and why?

5. What is your worst habit? 

6. What is your most worn item of clothing? How do you style it, and what with?

7. How long have you blogged? What made you start?

8. Share one of your beauty tips with us:

9. What would your dream job be, and why?

10. What is your favourite piece of make up in your make up bag, and why?

11. Where do you want to be in ten years?


My nominees for the Liebster Award are:

Violet Daffodils / Tea Three Sugars / The Pulse Of Fashion / Becca Talks Beauty / Whispers From Angels

The Luckiest Girl

Double Leather Bracelet and Christmas Fairy Charm

I can see this turning into quite a soppy 'I love you' post which you all know I tend not to do a lot, or at all, but I think it may be due here. It was mine and Frazer's one year anniversary a week ago today (I did a little post here) and we both decided we weren't going to do the whole gift-giving thing just to purely save money. Instead Frazer cooked me a lovely meal and also took me out for dinner before, which I absolutely loved, but I couldn't resist not giving him anything. I made him a photo frame with lots of different photographs of us and he was so pleased with it, but he kept going on about how he hadn't bought me anything, bless him. Obviously we had agreed and I was just so pleased he had cooked for me and everything, so I really didn't need anything else...

Yesterday I received a strange phone call from him on my lunch break at work, asking for my postcode. I'm super suspicious all the time and could not get the reason out of him, which left me thinking all day. When I finally saw him last night he popped out a big Pandora bag and I was instantly both surprised and so excited! Well look what he bought me! I've been wanting a double leather bracelet for so long and he'd obviously picked up on that, as well as buying me the cutest fairy charm ever. The other two charms in the picture were ones that I was bought last Christmas, but because my silver bracelet is a bit full I decided to do a little move around. How cute!?

I really am the luckiest girl and probably quite spoilt but I absolutely love him loads and I can't wait for Christmas to buy lots and lots of nice presents. Also, I still don't know why he needed my postcode... he says I will find out in the next week. Any ideas?

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

Nivea Express Hydration Primer - £4.99 

Well girls, Nivea has saved my skin once again! I've loved their products for so long now and they continue to keep bringing out these amazingly good products that are also so good for your money. In the past I've tried my fair share of brands, but nothing seems to keep me hooked and I always go back to good old Nivea. I absolutely love their tinted moisturiser and do rely on it quite a bit. I saw an advert on the television for their new skin care range and as soon as I saw this product I was like "I have to try it!" A moisturiser and a primer in one? I'm sold...

Nivea say The Express Hydration Primer moisturises and provides a base for make-up by smoothing the skin's surface. As well as this, it also helps keep your make-up in place throughout the day. I couldn't wait to try it and literally rushed to Tesco at the first free moment I had. It is actually on offer at the minute at £4.99, so I'd snap it up now before everyone else does. I got the Normal & Combination skin type, but I think they also do a sensitive skin version too.

The cream has quite a thick consistency but to be honest that doesn't really bother me much, it makes my skin feel like it's working more, if you get me? It's super easy to rub in and absorbs really quickly. You really don't need a lot to feel the benefits, I use a small lump and only lightly cover my skin with it. It smells fresh and clean too, if that makes sense, and literally makes your skin feel so soft as soon as you rub it in. As a moisturiser I think its amazing, and as a primer I think it lives up to expectations. My make-up feels fresher as the day goes on and I find that I don't have to touch it up as much as I usually do. 

Overall I'm so impressed with the quality of this cream, and even thought I've only been using it for a few days I can tell it's already changed my skin. It seems to feel a lot softer and fresher all of a sudden and my make-up really does stay on a lot longer. I love this product, as I honestly thought I would. Well done again Nivea, you beauty!

Collar Tips and Tricks

1. ebay    2. H&M    3. River Island    4. ebay 

I thought I'd do a bit of a fashion-inspired post today for a change, seeing as I tend to just concentrate on beauty and the occasional lifestyle post. Collar detailing is something that I've really got in to over the past few weeks, and it seems to be absolutely everywhere. It seems to be extremely popular on shirts and blouses at the minute in just about every store, so I decided to see how I could jazz up an old Levis shirt I got last year. I think it is actually a man's shirt but I love it! It's really oversized and comfy, and I really love the blue colour of it.

I bought some studs a few weeks ago and was very tempted to stud the collar, but I didn't really want to do anything that was too permanent in case I decided I didn't like it. Instead I decided to have a rummage round and see if I had anything that I could keep changing and swapping. As well as collar tips and detail, big statement necklaces are massive at the minute too, so what better excuse to have a play around with some different looks?!

The H&M necklace is something that I've started to wear a lot because it's so simple and goes with anything. The River Island necklace is a few years old and I actually forgot I had it, but I think it looks quite expensive and very vintage. Both of the collar tips are from good old ebay, which I actually don't have links for at the minute I'm afraid. I definitely know that if you type them in there are millions of choices, and I think mine were around £1.50 with free delivery from China. You have to wait a while for them to arrive, but for that price I don't think anyone can complain. There are loads of different things you can use to brighten up a plain collar, I think I'll definitely be investing in some more.

How do you jazz up your shirt collars?

Sample Storage #2 - Other Samples

I decided to do a little follow up post to my first sample storage post, which you can find here. These samples are mainly collected from magazines, Latest in Beauty or any other beauty boxes. I've got quite a range of samples from all sorts of boxes and magazines, so I find it easier to store them like this so they are all in the same place. This box is again a Glossy Box sample box, I think it was September's specially designed box maybe?, but as I said before they're absolutely perfect for storing literally anything. I know that soon my boxes will probably be overflowing with samples because I literally don't seem to have enough time to use them all, but I guess now I literally have a sample for every instance.

I may have mentioned it before, but I've since cancelled my Glossy Box subscription and have moved onto trying a different beauty box. I just found I was getting a bit bored of Glossy Box and I wasn't as impressed every month as I had been, which in my books is a waste of £10+ a month. I did a bit of research and decided to try the She Said Beauty box after seeing so many good reviews about it. I've only had my first box up to yet but I really was so impressed with the products, and it was even better that two or three were full-sized. I guess that's another few boxes I have to add to my collection... storage anyone?

What do you use to store your samples? Do you re-use your beauty boxes?

My Current Skin Care Routine

Everyone seems to be doing one of these posts at the minute, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and join in. I like reading other people's skin care routines just in case I pick up any tips or discover any new products that would work for me too. I tend not to use too many products because my skin is quite sensitive and I hate having breakouts. I currently have one from the silly Glamoxy Snake Serum I tested last week, which is annoying. I tend to stick to things that I know work well for my skin, although now I've started to try new things when I get sent samples.

These five things are part of my daily routine, although there are a few things I've missed but I'll talk about those later. Oxy is something that I discovered a while ago now and I've been using ever since because its worked so well for my skin. When I first found Oxy it was branded for male skin, but I decided to give it a go anyway and i'm so glad I did. Their range is amazing and it helps clear my skin in a few days when I use the products twice a day. Oxy products contain Seaweed, which is full of vitamins and minerals, and helps to prevent breakouts. They've recently re-designed their packaging and I think they're becoming a lot more popular. I use their face wipes, blitz pads, fresh skin wash and the occasional gel when I have really bad skin.

The Clean Start toner and Vichy Day Cream are both samples that I've really taken to and carried on using after the little trial period that I give them. The toner came as part of a pack that I reviewed here, and the day cream was part of the September Glossy Box that I reviewed here. The toner is really citrusy and makes my skin feel so fresh, especially in a morning. The day cream is quick thick, but you really don't need a lot to make your skin feel really moisturised and healthy. They've both improved my skin overall and I'm going to be a bit stuck when they run out... maybe I should start looking for substitutes. Any ideas?

The last product that I decided to pop in this post is my Nivea Daily Essentials Tinted Moisturiser. I used this last year while I was away on holiday and it worked amazingly as a foundation, so I decided to try it out on my two holidays this year. In fact I liked it that much, I've now incorporated it into my everyday routine. It works so well as a moisturiser but it also adds a bit of base colour to my skin, almost like tinted primer. I apply it like a normal moisturiser then add my make-up on top and I swear, it really changes my whole face and makes my make-up last a lot longer.

There's a few other things I've missed from this photograph, such as Sudocrem and PanOxyl, but to be honest they're not something that I use everyday. I use the PanOxyl 10% Acne Cream when I have breakouts, but because of its design it really dries out my skin so I have to moisturise loads. Sudocrem is probably my favourite thing to use when I have breakouts because it seems to make them disappear overnight.

What are your favourite products?

One Year Today

So today is mine and Frazer's one year anniversary, how cute!? I'd seen these illustrations on a lot of blogs, from headers to little cute posts, so I decided to do a bit of research into them. I found the creator, Malia, had a blog herself, called Deep Friend Freckles. She does some amazing work, so I decided it would be super cute to have a little picture of us drawn. I love anything that's a bit different, so this is the perfect thing for me. I love how cute they are! Her prices are really reasonable too, which is always a bonus. Thank you so much Malia :))

So today is apparently going to be a bit of a surprise for me. Frazer has planned a long walk with his dog, then a surprise meal later on... god knows what I'll be eating tonight. I love surprises so I'm really looking forward to it! 

Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum

Glamoxy Snake Serum - Glossy Box Sample

This is another Glossy Box sample review, I'm afraid, but maybe not as good a one as I hoped. When this little sachet appeared in my Glossy Box I was instantly drawn to it, mainly because I had absolutely no idea what it was. For starters 'Snake Serum' sounds kind of bizarre and a little scary to me, so my instant reaction was "I really want to try that!" Well really my first reaction was to research, research, research... and I was actually quite surprised with what I found.

For starters, a full-sized 25ml bottle is £127! No seriously, that's the price tag on this baby. Glamoxy Snake Serum is said to reduce the appearance of frown lines and wrinkles, while improving the overall condition of your skin. This effect is supposed to be noticeable instantly, and it is supposed to bring a 3D plumping effect to skin. Now for the interesting part... the serum is said to freeze the muscle and mimic the effect of a viper's venom... I actually kid you not! It's even inherited the tag line of 'Botox in a bottle', it is absolutely crazy what they can do for beauty now. Obviously the serum is completely safe to use and was completely sold out in the UK when it hit the shops.

Now onto the actual product itself. Glossy Box spared me two little sachets of the serum to try, and try I did. I've used it morning and night for a week now, and I can honestly say that my skin is absolutely no different. In fact I think it may be worse as I seem to have had a huge breakout, but I'm not entirely sure what has caused this, so no blaming just yet. One sachet has lasted me a week but I have had to use it very sparingly. As for the instant effect, I really didn't notice any. I know obviously I don't have lots of wrinkles and I hope I don't need botox, but I didn't even feel like my skin was plump or smooth at all.

I'm quite gutted about this product as from all the research I did, I was actually so excited about trying it. I actually think that the serum wasn't probably aimed at me as a target audience, so maybe other people have had different experiences with it?

Have you tried Glamoxy Snake Serum? What are your thoughts?

Sample Storage #1 - Glossy Box

I know I've recently cancelled my Glossy Box subscription, and moved on to another well-known beauty box, but I thought I'd do a little post just to show you how I store all my samples. I've had six months worth of Glossy Boxes, so that's a lot of samples and you'd think I'd need a lot of room for them... right? Well surprisingly I keep them all in one Glossy Box. Obviously I've used a few products over these past six months but I was a little shocked when I realised that the rest of my samples fitted into that box.

The boxes that the Glossy Box samples come in are the perfect things for storage! They're just the right size for literally anything... I use two for my samples, then the others have seemed to take their way around the house. I actually think my mum has two of my boxes to keep her own make-up and beauty products in, she so stole my idea. I think it's quite important to keep all your samples together in one place, just for the fact that when you need something, you know exactly where to go to find it. I also think it helps when you're wanting to blog about a certain something. I know that when I'm looking through my boxes I always find a little inspiration when I'm struggling for an idea.

How do you store your samples?