Endless Autumn.

Topshop Top//New Look Shorts//ASOS purse//Topshop Necklace.

I love love love these shorts but they are so unflattering on me! I usually wear things that are quite fitted at the waist but I couldn't resist buying these.
They crease so easily though, which is annoying. Such a lovely colour though, it reminds me of autumn colours.
I really need to buy a charger for my DSLR, but it's £40 and I'd rather spend my money on other things (clothes, makeup, shoes...) so my photos are a bit rubbish.

This morning I received a lovely little package from the amazing Liz Earle PR team. They sent me the Clear Skin Kit which I can't wait to try out! I'm going to test these out and see how much my skin improves & then do a post about it. I've mentioned before that my skin isn't great, but it did improve when I tried the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, so I'm really excited to be trying these out! 

Girls on Film.

new purse//new york fridge//coke can pinup//polaroid//makeup//books&vinyl//MSFs//Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook//cocktails.

I love taking photos, I'm going to make this a regular feature although these ones aren't too great. I love having lots of things on display in my flat. Between me and Graeme, we have a lot of clutter. Most people like to store everything away but I love it all out on show, piles of books and vinyl and lots of photographs and pictures.

I have a few films to be developed from my Lomo Fisheye2 so I will post them if they're any good!

LUSH Alkmaar Soap.

I was lucky enough to get this lovely little Alkmaar soap from Lush in America from my boyfriend. Graeme was music-ing in the US and went to Lush and asked for something you couldn't buy in the UK. Really sweet of him, not sure where he got that idea from... it's not typical Graeme behaviour, usually I get socks or fridge magnets.

I thought I would do a post on this because there's probably not too many people with it (unless your boyfriend also has random acts of kindness or you live in America). The soap is named after the cheese capital of the world, Alkmaar in Amsterdam. The reason for this being not because it contains any cheese (although that would be interesting, Stilton and Camembert bath bomb pls) but because of the way Lush soaps are sold. They are displayed like large blocks of cheese, cut on cutting boards, wrapped and weighed like a cheese market/deli.
The soap contains honeysuckle and jasmine, which means it smells gorgeous. I think Lush soaps always have that sort of same scent that lingers that makes them unique.
I love the smell of honeysuckle and the smell actually lasts a while after use as well. I've had this soap for a while but I don't want to use it up because it's hard to get (although, Graeme is back in America again in a few weeks!).

I love all the Lush soaps, they always make my skin feel lovely and aren't drying like most soaps. Alkmaar is also vegan too, I don't specifically buy vegan products so it doesn't bother me but it's a plus for any vegans.

A lovely product. Any suggestions as to what I can force Graeme to buy me when he's in America next month?

6 Favourites: Blushes.

L-R: Bourjois Blush Pot in Rose D'or, MAC Wonder Woman Blush in Amazon Princess, Smashbox blush in Proof Sheet, MAC Powder Blush in Fleur Power, MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty & MAC Mineralize Blush in Hang Loose.

I've done full posts on most of these products but I thought I would just do a quick post about the six blushes I've been reaching for recently. Usually it would have been 5 Favourites but I couldn't pick five!

Bourjois blush in Rose D'or is probably a blush most people have, and one which I absolutely adore. I've had a few compliments recently on this blush, not just in blog comments but in person too which is lovely. I've been told I really suit this blush so it's one that I wear most. Its a gorgeous pink with a gold iridescent glow to it. It looks really lovely on and it lasts for such a long time too. It really is that perfect natural colour.

MAC Wonder Woman Blush in Amazon Princess is also one I wear often, it's different from the pink blushes I usually wear as it's a bit brighter and also has blue/purple undertones. It only takes a small amount to look gorgeous so I can imagine it lasting a long time, it also stays on all well which is handy for wearing during the day.

Smashbox blush in Proof Sheet is another pink colour blush, but it's also leaning towards a nice coral colour. This is similar to the Bourjous Rose D'or and MAC Dainty but it doesn't have the glitter through it which makes it slightly more natural and matte. I wear this to work a lot to give me a nice glow.

MAC Fleur Power is a darker pink which I also absolutely love. It doesn't have any glitter in it, which is sometimes nice for a change, especially as you can mix and match with different highlighters. It's such a gorgeous colour, and the quality of MAC blushes is excellent. Well worth the price! This is actually the only powder blush I have by MAC that isn't mineralize (I think...) but this is probably going to change soon.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty is the first MAC blush I purchased and I think what began my blush buying frenzy. It's a light pink colour with a gorgeous glitter through it. I have a few light pink blushes because I think it's my natural glow anyway so I suit it best. It's also not too daring for daytime either.
Probably one of my most used blushes, it looks good on anyone.

MAC Mineralize Blush in Hang Loose from the Limited Edition In the Groove collection that everyone went mad for. It's a nice light pink teamed with a lilac/lavender colour. I have never seen a lilac blush before, and I wouldn't ever wear the lilac alone but blended together it looks so lovely.
I've only worn this a few times, but I like it because it's not like any other colour I own.



L-R: Bourjois Blush Pot in Rose D'or, Smashbox blush in Proof Sheet & MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty.



Bottom to Top: MAC WW Blush in Amazon Princess, MAC Mineralize Blush in Hang Loose & MAC blush in Fleur Power.

I'm a bit of a blush obsessive so I change which blush I use everyday. What are your thoughts?

NARS Lamu Multiple & Roman Holiday Lip Pencil.

These were my first ever NARS purchases, I've always been wanting to buy some NARS but the products are a bit on the expensive side. The multiple is £29 usually, which is a lot of money for something you've never tried before. In the end, I spotted these two products on a blog sale and snapped them up - almost unused, too. This products have made me a massive NARS fan, so I'm currently browsing ASOS for a little something else, maybe a blush.

I bought the Lamu Multiple, I've always been after a Multiple - a multipurpose stick for cheeks, lips, eyes and body. Lamu is described as a glazed apricot with a golden sparkle. It's a bit like a bronzer actually and the gold sparkle was quite obvious when I put it on my cheeks, a bit much for daytime but gorgeous for evening.
I was actually surprised about this product because although its a stick, it comes out dry and really easy to blend - more like a powder. I was expecting it to be sticky like a lipstick but it's so lovely and blendable. The swatches above show the Lamu multiple and then also it blended in the next picture. Such a gorgeous product, it would look gorgeous on tanned skin so perfect for summer.
I reckon I would probably use this most as a highlighter/bronzer on my cheekbones for when I'm going out, but also maybe on my eyes. I can imagine this looking gorgeous on darker skin, too.

The second NARS product I got was the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Roman Holiday, a lovely light pink. After my encounters with the Topshop lip pencils I thought this would also be quite drying on my lips especially as it's quite a light colour. This is a lot more moisturising than the Topshop lipsticks, my dry lips don't need so much prep and the colour doesn't show up so much of the dryness.
The colour is lovely too, I love light pink lip colours. I never expect lip products to stay on for long (probably because i'm constantly eating...) but this is actually quite long lasting.
It's really easy to apply, the pencil nib makes it easy to get a nice lip shape especially around the cupids bow and the colour glides on.

I've really been converted to a NARS obsessive, the packaging is absolutely gorgeous - so classic and simple. The colours are both gorgeous and the quality is excellent.
What are your favourite NARS products?

New favourites.

Jumper: New Look 

Necklace: ASOS

1st Ring: ASOS

2nd Ring: Topshop

Lipstick: Rimmel Colour Show Off in Pink Gossip 

Alas, my DSLR charger has died. RIP :'( I did, however, get my bridge camera (the halfway point between a digital camera and a DSLR) back from Scotland so I was able to take some questionable outfit photos.
I love the rings, the turquoise one looks like a YSL arty ring except I don't reallyyyy like the YSL arty rings, my hands are tiny so it would look ridiculous on me. The stag head is from Topshop in the sale.

I'm back in Leeds, I got back last night. Scotland was amazing. I miss home already! I had a good shop in Aberdeen and bought HEAPS! Including a few outfits for Sheffield blog meetup this weekend. So excited!



I had a few problems with my foundation the other day, I have the MAC foundation brush but it was applying my foundation far too heavily in some places. It looked like orange splodges on my face, awful! I'd read about this Cosmopolitan Blend Perfection Sponge before, and how it was good for blending. I'm so paranoid about the dreaded orange line on my jaw or streaks down my neck so I bought the sponge.
I wanted to keep using my MAC Prolong Wear but not as heavy, and I'd read that wetting the sponge a bit meant that the foundation was slightly diluted and easier to apply. As its a sponge, the water that has been absorbed also means the foundation isn't absorbed either meaning no waste of expensive foundations!
The idea of the sponge is to just blot it on to your face, using a sort of bouncing action which results in a nice "airbrushed" finish. The tapered end means it's perfect for getting in around your eyes and nose, too.
I use the flatter end to sort of buff the foundation in on my jawline, and then sweep it down my neck.

This sponge has really improved my foundation, and it looks a bit more natural too. I don't like being caked in makeup, I like any freckles or moles to show through but having a nice glow to my skin, whilst also covering up blemishes.
The best thing about this sponge is it has given me a bit more confidence with my foundation. I hate worrying about whether it hasn't been blended in, especially as I use MAC foundations with heavy coverage which can be hard to sort out with a brush. The sponge also means that I'm not so worried about having a big line at my jaw, as it allows me to blend in my makeup down my neck really nicely.

I've also found my foundation, and my makeup as a whole, is staying put for longer due to their being a thinner layer of it. I think this would also help people with drier skin too, due to the water in the sponge.
Obviously I'm still experimenting with it but I really do recommend this if you're aiming for a more natural look to your makeup, but still a good coverage.

Has anyone else tried this before?

Boots Botanics Soothing Cleansing Balm.

I've been eyeing this up at work recently, I love the Botanics range and we all know I love hot cloth cleansers, which is pretty much what this is.
I love using natural, organic products. This cleanser contains shea butter which is well known for its conditioning and nourishing properties. It makes it a bit different to the average cleanser as it's a lovely balm instead of a cream or lotion. You'll notice the balm contains crystal formations due to the natural ingredients, but after massaging it into the skin it melts in so easily. Although it's a balm, it's not greasy or oily so I wasn't worried about the risk of breakouts. It really absorbs into the skin, and then the organic cotton cloth can be used to take off the balm along with any makeup and impurities.

My skin felt gorgeous after just one use. Because of the slick nature of the product, it makes it easy to massage into the skin. Giving yourself a facial massage is really recommended, to increase blood circulation and improve overall complexion.
I apply this to my face and then massage in circular motions, like they always say to, and I can really notice a difference in the overall look of my face.
I didn't actually use the cotton cloth which came with the product as I have so many muslin cloths floating around. I imagine it's similar to any other cloth.

I think this is a lovely cleanser, it feels amazing when massaging it into the skin and my skin appeared brighter and in better condition after one or two uses.
Definitely a product that everyone should own!

Have you tried this product before?

Topshop Sandstorm.

Yesterday I bought a few things from the new Topshop Sandstorm collection. I'd seen this Blush/Bronze duo and decided to pick it up as I'm still in love with my Topshop highlighter. This cheek duo is in Dessert Sun, and has a rosy blush with a light bronze in one compact. I thought I would give it a go as I never use a bronzer. I didn't swatch this product as it's so faint, I have rubbed my finger around the product and barely anything comes up. I love the idea of this product, but I can't see it having any life-changing affects on my makeup routine. I haven't tried it on yet, to be fair but as it's so faint I don't see it doing a lot of damage.

I also bought two of the lipsticks, Enamoured - a soft reddish pink and Coy - a light nude pink. I constantly have dry lips so I try not to wear matte lipsticks (tragic, I know) so I though these would give a matte affect without being too drying.
I love both the colours, especially Coy but they do show up my dry, flaky lips. I'm really disappointed, but I think I will continue to use them with a lot of lip preparation first. I guess I'd have to use a lip scrub and then a lip balm before using the lipsticks, which is a lot of work.
The lipsticks are actually in pencil form, which I think I have to sharpen. This will probably annoy me, especially when I'm carrying them around with me in my handbag and need to sharpen them. I don't think I know anyone who carries a sharpener round with them. Saying that, the smaller nib allows easier application.
The colours are gorgeous, but they don't stay on for long. I guess with a good base & on healthy, non chapped lips they would last longer.




L-R: Topshop Lipstick in Coy and Enamoured.

To be honest, I'm slightly disappointed in these products. I've raved about Topshop makeup before and these don't really live up to the hype. I do love the lipsticks, but for my dry lips they're not the best.

What are your thoughts on the products?

Nails: Models Own Pink Fizz.

This is the first time I've had glitter nails since I was about 12! I have to say that I'm loving them, really glittery and such a gorgeous shade of pink. It's going to be hell getting them off though!
I only applied two coats and I think it looks really good & dried quickly too. No chips yet, but I think any chips will be camouflaged anyway. Hopefully it'll stay put for the next few days.




I have an essay to do tomorrow on the train, I'm actually looking forward to getting it done. Although, I know I will probably just sit & listen to music (and probably nap) instead.
Obviously no train journey is complete without some M&S Percy Pigs!