Sephora Haul

Hi everyone! It's been far too long since I posted on my blog, it's actually been over a month now. I had just completely got stuck in a rut with my posts, and on top of that I was saving up so I wasn't going out and buying new products to try which was a big part of the problem and the motivation just wasn't there which was a shame because I love blogging so much. I'm back now though and I really want to get back into the swing of it again! I actually just got back from Rome yesterday which was one of my favourite trips I've ever been on, I had such an amazing time with my boyfriend and I'm feeling so sad to be home, while we were out there I got to visit Sephora which is one of the best places on Earth in my opinion. I hate that there isn't one in the UK at all, not even in London which makes getting to go even better! I went a little bit crazy in there to be honest, however the European Sephoras don't have anywhere near as big a range of products as the US Sephoras, so when I go to Florida in November I'm going to bring back so much stuff I'm so excited!

- Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. I actually think I bought the wrong product of this which is kind of annoying, it was the oil I was after but I stupidly got confused and picked this one up instead, it doesn't matter though because I have tried this and I still really like it. But I do still wish I'd bought the oil!

- Too Faced Sweethearts blush in Sparkling Bellini. I'd seen this get released along with their Sweet Peach palette as part of their Summer range but I'd never seen it in person, however as soon as I did I actually needed it, it's honestly one of the prettiest blushes I'd ever seen. It's so nice as well to see Too Faced counters as we hardly have any in the UK and when we do they are no where near as nice as the ones in Sephora. 

- Lancome Juicy Shaker in Walk The Lime. This was another product I'd seen about before but I put off getting as I already have a Clarins lip oil and the two products do seem really similar, but while I had my holiday head on I thought I'd just treat myself and buy it, the shade I got is so pretty, it's like a reddy coral shade, I feel like it's more on the red side than coral but it's so subtle. I've tried this one already and I'm obsessed with it, I'd love to get more shades because the formula is so nice, it leaves you with the plumpest healthiest looking lips!

- Too Faced Born This Way concealer in Fair. I have been after this concealer as soon as I saw it had been released, I love the Born This Way foundation so when Too Faced had released a concealer version I needed to get it. I think I will be doing a post on this sometime soon so I don't really want to say too much about it now, plus I think I need to try it a lot more first.

- Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in shade 4. I have had this foundation before and it is probably my favourite foundation that I've ever used and I was so upset when it ran out mostly because it's an insanely expensive repurchase. However again I was in holiday mode so I thought I'd treat myself to it, plus I needed a lighter shade anyway so it was good to try it in person so get the best match, I'm so happy I own it again now it's such an amazing product! 

- Sephora Kiss Me Balm in Pink Bubblegum. This was one of those random purchases that you chuck in the basket because it looks cute and hope that you actually like it but I can honestly say I'm so obsessed! It's such a hydrating lip balm and it's so comfortable to apply, the scent is a bit more on the sweet side for me but it's not too over powering and it leaves a really subtle lip colour so it's a perfect everyday product. 

- Sephora Face Masks (Lotus, Avocado & Pomegranate). I have tried the Sephora sheet masks before but only the lotus one, I love them so much it's so much easier than applying a face masks that it is a nightmare to get off, these are just so much more convenient. They have different variations of the sheet masks that cater to different things, lotus is for moisturising and soothing, avocado is for nourishing and repairing and pomegranate is for anti-fatigue and energizing. If you get a chance to go in Sephora I'd definitely recommend these I love them so much!

- Sephora Almond Foot Masks. We literally walked to 90% of the places we visited in Rome so my feet were actually hating me at the end of each day so when I saw these I was so interested by them, they had a lavender version as well but I really hate lavender so I bought an almond one, they are basically like socks that you put on and wear for 20 minutes, I tried one when I was in Rome and loved it so much I bought more to bring home. They feel so amazing when you're wearing them and when you take them off your feet are so much softer. I hate dry feet anyway I always have to have soft feet so these are so good, they are actually probably my favourite product I bought out there.

- Sephora Rose Lip Mask. You can tell I went crazy with the Sephora masks, I seriously do love them though I just wanted to get them all which I basically did, they had a shea version of this lip mask but rose version for moisturising and softening, I have never used a lip mask before so I really have no idea what to expect at all!

- Sephora Charcoal Nose Strip. I have the biggest issue with the skin on my nose, it gets so dry and flaky and without a doubt is the worst place on my face to get blackheads it's actually so irritating, so I thought I'd give this a try, I'm not sure if it is like a pore strip or not, but hopefully it works and I can stock up next time I get to go to Sephora.

Too Faced Sparkling Bellini, Lancome Walk The Lime

I definitely did go a little overboard but you honestly feel like a kid in a sweet shop when you go into Sephora, I love it so much! I am seriously so excited to visit a US Sephora soon because they have so many things I want to buy, so expect a much bigger Sephora haul around that time! I feel like it's just a dream place for anyone who loves any makeup or beauty products and I am so sad there isn't a UK one. It feels so nice to be writing a post again as well, I've missed blogging so much and I will be trying my best to really get back into it, hopefully this was just a little blip! Let me know in the comments if you've been to Sephora and what you thought of it!

Lush Christmas Haul

Hi everyone! So I just got back from a lovely weekend in Manchester to do some Christmas shopping and visit the Christmas markets, they're amazing by the way however very very busy! We went on the Saturday and you could hardly move so if you are thinking about going I would definitely recommend going on a weekday as it will be much quieter and you will enjoy it a lot more. The food at the markets is insanely good, I had a spicy bratwurst and then chocolate covered strawberries from a Bavarian sweet stand and they were so nice! Anyway I had to pay a visit to Lush while I was there and I haven't been to the store in a while so it was so good to see all the Christmas stuff out and I obviously had to buy some!

From left to right:

- Golden Wonder. This one is huge and it smells amazing, it's got a lime oil and sweet orange scent so it has a really refreshing citrus scent. The website says that if you shake it you'll hear hidden contents and once it is in the bath it reveals a sparkling turquoise explosion. This one sounds so cool I actually can't wait to use it!

- Butterbear. This one is probably one of my favourites it's so cute and it has the nicest subtle smell, it's vanilla scented and it has cocoa butter in it so it will be really moisturising, plus it is really cute! It's also only £1,95 which I think is really good and it is one of the cheaper products from the Christmas range.

- Father Christmas. This is another massive one, I really really like this it looks so cool and the scent reminds me a lot of Snow Fairy. The website says it smells like sweet spun candyfloss and that once it is in the bath it reveals a holly green centre so I am very excited to use this! 

- Snow Angel. This one is a bath melt rather than a bath bomb and I really love the website's description of this it says that it 'dissolves into a flurry of snow, blanket your bath in white foam before revealing a shimmering golden glow'. This is another one with cocoa butter in so it will nice and moisturising, it has a marzipan scent however it is really subtle as I don't like marzipan but this smells lovely and it has a hint of rose in it which balances it out really nicely. 

- Snow Fairy. Would it really be a Lush Christmas haul without getting this product? It smells amazing and it is so popular, I was chatting to the woman at the till who was saying that they get customers coming in around May asking if Snow Fairy is back yet, people love it! They actually have a massive 1kg bottle of it selling for £21.35 I believe so if you love to stock up for the year then that would be really good value for you, I got the 250g one for £7.95 which I think is a bit pricey for shower gel however it's so worth it! It's candyfloss scented and it smells so good you want to eat it, I just love it and the scent reminds me so much of Christmas now!

I didn't actually get any bubble bars because I'm not too keen on them, I prefer just chucking a bath bomb in and then you're done but they did have some really nice bubble bars as well so make sure you have a look if you go in the shop. I don't know about anyone else but I am 100% in the Christmas spirit now, I've only got three weeks left until I break up from uni, my work Christmas party is in two weeks now and I've nearly finished all my shopping so I am feeling very organised and festive even though it's only November! Let me know in the comments if you've bought any of Lush's Christmas range and what you've been loving!

Mini Yankee Candle Haul

Hi everyone! I thought I'd post something a little different today but I wanted to because I love hearing people's recommendations for candles they love as there is so much to choose from and it can be quite hard to pick from such a big range. I had a little spree in Clintons as I was looking for some of the Autumn products from Yankee Candle however they weren't in the shop yet but I ended up leaving with some totally random scents that don't really match the season but they smell amazing anyway!

- Vanilla Cupcake. This one smells very similar to one in their Christmas range called Christmas Cookie but I think this one is a bit sweeter. I love food scents and this one isn't so sweet that it is a bit sickly. I feel like it will make the room smell a bit like a bakery which I love!

- Summer Scoop. I know this is totally the wrong season for this scent however it is absolutely amazing! It is very hard to describe all I can say is that it is very fresh and fruity and just so gorgeous, plus the colour of this one is very pretty which is also a bonus.

- Berry Trifle. I absolutely fell in love with this one as well, I really wanted the small jar but they only had the big jar or the set of 12 tealights so I just ended up getting the tea lights but I am obsessed with this! I really can't wait to light these so my bedroom smells amazing.

Let me know in the comments any of your favourite scents as I am always on the lookout for more!

Mini Lush Haul

Hi everyone! Recently I was in Eldon Square in Newcastle and I thought I'd have a little look in Lush. We all know it doesn't just end in a little look and you end up buying stuff you arguably don't need but you get them anywhere because they are so fun and make baths 10x less boring. I thought I'd share with you the few bits I bought in case you are unsure of any products to buy from there.

I'll start from the top left and go round clockwise. These are all bubble bars by the way!

- Sunnyside. This is my absolutely favourite out of the four that I got it smells absolutely amazing! It's scent is wild orange, lemon and tangerine so has the nicest citrus smell that is strong but just the right amount! I haven't used this one yet but it is absolutely huge so if you break it up you will get a few uses out of it, I probably will be coming out the bath covered in glitter but who cares!

- Milky Bath. I love this one because it has the nicest subtle scent, sometimes Lush products can be really overpowering but this isn't at all. This is filled with orange oil and skimmed milk with a cocoa butter bottle top. I don't smell any orange in it at all, just a really nice creamy vanilla scent. It is also really cute as well which is a bonus!

- Rose Jam. This is one of the bubbleroons and I had to get this one because it is so pretty and it really does smell like roses! It has lemon, rose and geranium oil in it along with coconut oil and shea butter. If you get the chance to smell this you won't be able to get over the fact that it smells like you're surrounded by flowers, in the good way though it isn't overpowering at all.

- Yuzu and Cocoa. I really am getting into the bubbleroons they are so cute and they all smell amazing. This one in particular has a smell that seriously makes you want to eat it, this has coconut oil and shea butter and a scent of citrus oil which a chocolate undertone. Basically it smells like a really subtle chocolate orange and who doesn't love that? This one makes your bath smell so delicious and it goes a nice bright lemon colour. 

After I buy a few products from Lush I always get desperate for more so next time I pass one I will definitely be tempted to go and buy more. Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these and what you thought!

Holiday Haul inc Triangl, Bare Minerals + Drug Store etc

Hi everyone! I'm going on holiday in 10 days as I write this (!!!) and I think one of the best things about going on holiday is being able to buy all those little things that you wouldn't normally let yourself buy, I've been using the "it's for holiday" excuse for about a month and a half now! So I went to the Metro Centre on Wednesday, for those of you who don't know it's a huge shopping centre near Newcastle and it takes my money off me everytime I go because I have 0 will power. Anyway I bought a whole load of stuff for my holiday that I'd like to share with you! Just keep scrolling for more pictures and info on the products pictured below and I'll put my new bikini at the bottom that I also just got delivered.

I have actually bought a whole load more than this clothes wise however I will be doing a 'what's in my suitcase' blog post before I leave where you will get to see all the new outfits I bought and am obsessed with!

I'll start with the Body Shop products, I'd heard so much about their vitamin E range from so many people so I thought I'd give it a try, especially the products in this range designed for dry skin.

1. Vitamin E Face Mist. It claims to give an instantly refreshing moisture boost and has rosewater in it to refresh. I love anything like this because it's quick and easy and ideal when you're out and about.

2. Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream. This is said to be for those with very dry skin, and it claims to continuously nourish, protect and lock in moisture. I've actually tried this one once already and so far so good! My nose is the biggest problem area for my dry skin and I put some on yesterday and it still feels quite soft now.

3. Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes. Claims it is a one-step cleansing and toning to remove make up, impurities and dead skin cells. This is for all skin types however I just wanted a fresh pack of wipes to take with me on holiday and this range in the Body Shop was actually on 3 for 2 so I picked this out as the free product.

1. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. I actually first saw this from one of Zoella's haul videos and I did some research on it and it sounded ideal for when you are on holiday, you've got a tan and you're skin looks nicer and it's also too hot to wear a higher coverage foundation. It is described as a tinted hydrating gel cream so more of a foundation than a tinted moisturiser but still very sheer. It's also apparently meant to be good for your skin as it is hydrating and has ingredients in it that energize skin. The woman who worked at the counter matched me in a darker shade than I am as I do tan a lot while I'm away, I will be posting a first impressions of this when I'm back so look out for that!

So I went a bit crazy with the lip products in Superdrug! Basically I am obsessed with liquid lipsticks and while I'm away with a tan I want to try more bold colours that I wouldn't normally wear now (constantly stick to pinks and nudes) and I'd been eyeing the Stila liquid lipsticks however they are priced at £15 each and I figured if I do get bright colours and don't like them then it is a waste of money. So I bought a few from Superdrug (aside from the MAC lipstick obviously) to see if I like them and they are all £3 each so if I don't like them then it doesn't matter.

From left to right

1. Makeup Revolution London Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer in Keep Trying for You

2. Collection Cream Puff in Fairy Cake

3. Collection Cream Puff in Cotton Candy

4. Makeup Academy Whipped Velvet in Chichi

5. Makeup Academy Whipped Velvet in Ritzy

I also bought a lipstick from MAC as they had their MAC Is Beauty collection in the counter in the metro and I'd been eyeing this up for a while.

1. MAC Call The Hairdresser in Lustre finish

1. Gilette Venus & Olay razor. It's a bit weird to post your razor in a haul but I wanted to include it because Gilette's Venus range has been combined with Olay, this one has Olay moisture bars and a sugarberry scent, I also wanted to include it as they are half price in Superdrug and if anyone is like me and likes a fresh razor for holidays but they are obviously expensive then go to Superdrug and you will find loads of their products such as this on offer.

2. Topshop Sunglasses. I love these because I finally found sunglasses in this style that fit my face! They come with a free case, the ones in the shop I was at had holographic cases like the one I got in different colours and I got the pink one.

This is the one I'm most excited about by far! If any of you have read my previous post on Triangl bikinis then you know I'm obsessed with them, and about a week ago I was telling my boyfriend's mum about them as his sister wants one and I was like why don't I have a look on the website. Big mistake as they have their summer 2015 range out and they are amazing! They have a lot of new crochet style ones like the one I bought above. So being the sucker I am I had to order it as it was just too pretty! I couldn't get a very good picture of it so I put mine in anyway and I will put in the one of this bikini from the Triangl website:

I am in love with it, and it got delivered so quick! I ordered it either Saturday or Sunday and it came yesterday which was the Thursday. I love the crochet style and would recommend it to anyone they are perfect for the summer.

This has turned out to be the longest post ever, thank you if you sifted through the whole thing! Like I mentioned I will be posting a 'what's in my suitcase' post very soon so look out for that!xxx

May Make Up Haul

Hi everyone! Sorry I've totally disappeared off the face of the Earth recently I've been so busy with exams and assignments but I finally made it to the end and I can not get excited for all the good plans I have this summer! I haven't gone too crazy this month with shopping as I honestly just haven't had the time at all but in between my last two exams I had a little spree to keep me going until I was done so I thought I'd do a little haul on what I got!

1. Benefit Fake Up hydrating crease-control concealer. I have been so excited to get this product, I was definitely influenced by the fact I was so tired all this month from all the work I've been doing that I had actual suitcases under my eyes. I use Nars Creamy Concealer most of the time but I've been having an issue with it creasing quite badly so I thought I'd give this a try and see how it goes!

2. Stila One Step Correct Primer. I am so fascinated by this product, I actually heard about it from Shaaanxo and I've got a bit of red pigmentation on my cheeks and on my jaw so I wanted to see if it could even out my skin tone. I was a bit wary at first as I always need my primers to be hydrating as I've got such dry skin but I did a little research and it also apparently nourishes the skin so I hope it's good! I might do a blog post on this after using it to see if it does do what it claims to.

3. Benefit Rockateur. I have wanted one of the powder boxes from Benefit for ages but I always thought they were really expensive but I eventually gave in when I wanted to treat myself so I got their most popular one to give it a try and I love it on first impressions! I know I'm late to the party but I got there in the end and I hope it's as good as people say.

4. Benefit World Famous Neutrals Easiest Nudes Ever. Benefit have three of these world famous neutral palettes and I'm absolutely obsessed with a neutral eye so I picked this one because I'm no good at eye shadow I find it such a chore so anything with the word easy in the name is good with me! I like these palettes because they come with the little tips and tricks books which are good when you aren't an expert like me! I'll post a picture lower down of the inside of the palette and what colours it has.

5. Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush. I already have one of these and I know this is so weird but I really wanted a new one for my holiday, brushes are just never the same even after you've cleaned them and in my opinion you cannot beat using a brand new fresh brush so I got this one as a little holiday treat for when I go at the end of this month. The quality of these brushes is amazing and they're so reasonably priced so I would definitely recommend this brush!

6. Benefit First Class Glosses travel set. I got this for free when I spent over a certain amount on the Benefit website I think it was £50. You use a code that they put on the offers section and you get 4 travel sized lip glosses for free when the set is worth over £24 so looking on their offers section before you buy anything is definitely worth it! Currently that offer is still on so if you're going to be spending that much money anyway then it's something for free. It includes Bella Bamba, Coralista, Dandelion and Sugar Bomb.

Literally obsessed with Rockateur it's so pretty and I wanted to show you the Stila One Step Correct primer because it looks crazy! The green is supposed to minimise redness, the lavender counteracts sallow undertones and the peach brightens and illuminates the skin.

The World Famous Neutrals Easiest Nudes ever palettes has two cream eyeshadows, the top shade is 'r.s.v.p' (my favourite one) and the other is 'no pressure!' The top two eyeshadows are 'call my buff' and 'thanks a latte' and the bottom two are 'pinky swear' and 'quick, look busy'. 

Thanks for reading and if you want any more info on any of these products then just comment below!xxx

April Beauty & Clothing Haul

Hi everyone! I thought I'd do a haul on a few of the things I've gathered over the last month. There's a lot of hair care stuff for some reason, definitely sub consciously trying to solve my hair problems, I also got it cut for the first time in 4 years (it's a long story) a couple of weeks ago so I'm still adjusting!

I'll start with the beauty products first:

1. Bed Head TIGI Elasticate shampoo. This is literally the biggest shampoo bottle ever! I bought it from TK Maxx where they had it discounted from £19,99 to £12.99 I think it was and I always buy strengthening shampoo since my hair is so damaged and I know this bottle will last me a really long time.

2. Bumble and Bumble Mending shampoo. This was definitely a luxury purchase but I had heard so many good things about this brand and in a lot of the Boots stores near me they have been getting counters for Bumble and Bumble so I thought I'd give it a try.

3. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, I've done a first impressions post on this foundation so if you want to know more about it then give this a read!

4. Bumble and Bumble All Style blow dry, I got this as a free sample when I bought some other products so I thought I'd include this, by the way it is the most amazing smelling hair care product ever!

5. Bumble and Bumble Thickening Serum, Thin hair is literally the bane of my life so I was talking to the woman who worked at the Bumble and Bumble counter so told me it creates the illusion of thick hair so I was sold!

6. Nip + Fab Dark Spot Corrector. I got this discounted from TK Maxx as well down to £4.99 which was really good, I've got slight red pigmentation on my cheeks and across the bottom of my cheeks so I thought I'd try this to see if it can calm it down.

7. MAC Lip Pencil in the shade Whirl, This had been out of stock for ages on the website and when it finally came back in I had to try, I've never actually used lip liner before this but I love the colour and even the smallest amount can make your lips fuller.

8. MAC Lipstick in Velvet Teddy. Again this had been out of stock for ages so when I was finally able to get my hands on it I did, I actually bought Whirl to go with this since everyone is raving about them together.

I bought some clothing stuff as well so I will picture that below.

1. Havianas Flip Flops. This might seem like a really weird purchase considering it is only April but I have been dying to get these exact Havianas for my holiday in June for so long and then I finally found them at their Carnaby Street store! I literally live in flip flops during the day on holiday and I normally just get really cheap ones and throw them away at the end of the holiday but I've wanted the navy blue havianas for a while and everywhere near me that sold them didn't have them in a size 4 but I finally got them! They are now being put away until June but I can't wait to wear them (comfiest flip flops ever).

2. Topshop Strappy Scallop Stripe Sundress. I got this as I thought it will be so cute for summer, just a quick outfit to throw on to wear with converse or sandals and it was only £24 which I think is really good for Topshop.

3. Topshop Little Mermaid Pajamas. I absolutely love the Little Mermaid it's one of my favourite Disney films so when I saw these in Topshop I had to get them. Plus I have a weird thing where I can only wear pjs that are t-shirt ones, long sleeves or vests is a no go! 

Thank you for reading!xxx 

March Makeup Haul

Hi everyone! I thought I'd do a haul/first impressions post about some of the products I bought this month. Some of it was bought online and some from shops when I went to Leeds as I was able to get some products over there that are harder to buy where I live in Darlington but I'll post where I got each item further down.

First off I'll start with the new foundation I bought. I'd heard a lot about Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua but I was unsure on it as they have a lot of similar foundations such as Vitalumiere but I did a bit of research and thought that while I was in Leeds I would get colour matched and see what I thought about it. I got colour matched at the counter in Harvey Nichols and liked how it applied so I bought it for £33 I think it was in the shade 20 Beige. I didn't actually like it at first when I first applied it with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge as I felt it took so much to get any coverage but this was probably the sponge absorbing it all because when I used  my Zoeva buffing brush I fell in love its so glowy but not full on dewy and gives really nice light to medium coverage!

I also bought the SmashBox Primer Water while I was in Leeds as there are no counters close to me and I'm not actually too impressed too far, for someone with dry skin like me as a primer its far to light I need something much more hydrating than a bit of mist, it's okay for a setting spray it gives you a tiny bit more radiance but that's all I like it for right now, maybe it will grow on me!

The Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette I got from the Debenhams website, it had only just been posted online so obviously it's only being released now in the UK but as soon as I saw it I had to get it and I love it so much! The colours are so nice, a really good mix for lots of different looks and the pigmentation is really good. It does actually smell like chocolate too like everyone says which is a bonus and I would definitely recommend it.

Now for the MAC products I bought the mineralize concealer in the shade NC20 so far I'm not loving this it just isn't really working for me but I haven't used it a lot so I might figure out how to make it look better on my skin. I also got the mineralize skin finish in the shade Soft & Gentle after hearing so much about it and it is so nice! I prefer it for a more full face look, it is a bit full on when you want a more natural look. The lipsticks are in the shade Blankety which is an amplifed creme and the other is Flamingo which is a lustre finish and I love them both!

Hope you enjoyed reading about the products I bought this month!xxx