MAC Velvet Teddy

So it happened.  After months of stalking Kylie Jenner's instagram, I finally got my hands on the coveted MAC Velvet Teddy (£15.50).   I had been hunting for this for what feels like forever since hearing it was the lipstick Kylie has been wearing recently but it was sold out EVERYWHERE!!!  I eventually turned the 'Notify Me' button on the MAC website on so I would get a notification the minute it was back in stock, but I heard nothing for days so I thought all hope was lost.  But alas, on Saturday I got an email to let me know it was back in so I quickly ordered it and then sat by the letterbox waiting for the postman to come.  Then it happened.  A black parcel was slipped into my letterbox yesterday morning with the word MAC printed at the top.  I ripped it open and almost wet myself with excitement (tmi?) and boy was I not disappointed.  

The lipstick is described as a deep beige tone with a matte finish.  I usually find mattes to look quite dry on my lips but does this one?  Nuh uh.  It has the perfect matte finish while still keeping your lips feeling and looking hydrated.  The colour is so flattering to my skin and is along the lines of a nude/brown/pink/beige to create a perfect colour combination.  

The colour is selling out fast everywhere but this is definitely a lipstick I would recommend investing in, it's very complimentary and versatile and come on, who doesn't want to be that little closer to looking like Kylie Jenner?  

Have you tried Velvet Teddy before?  What were your thoughts?  

Work Wear

Since I am starting a new job this week it evidently meant I had the 'oh my god I have nothing to wear' fiasco.  The clothes I work to my previous job just wouldn't cut it, I wanted a fresh start.  Being a fan of the Boohoo 'Work Wear' range, I immediately headed there to see what I could find.  

The first item I saw was this black collared dress, (£15) I personally don't think you can ever go wrong with black for work wear.  It's smart, it's simple, it's stylish.  Everything you want for going to work.  I've always had a thing for a good collar and Peter Pan collars are right up my street so this dress was exactly what I was looking for.

Another dress that caught my eye was this colour block skater dress, (£15) like the previous the colours are staple black, white and grey, ideal for work.  I love the style of this dress and how it flares at the bottom of the skirt, the material looks soft and comfortable which is always essential given it will be worn for around 8-9 hours a day.  
Next up is a classic blazer (£18).  Blazers are perfect for making it look like you've made a lot of effort when you haven't really.  They add a touch of elegance to any outfit and really pull the look together.  This is in the style of a shawl so will be perfect for wearing under a coat in the winter, without being too heavy.  

To add a pop of colour, I chose this burgundy blouse (£12), I am a huge burgundy fan and love the style of the neck of this blouse.  The material looks so luxurious soft.  This could be easily paired with black jeans/trousers or a skirt and tights and looks great either way.  

A staple item is a good pair of trousers and black pintuck (£15) ones looks perfect, they're smart but also have a casual and cool feel to them as they are a skinny fit and also ankle grazers.  The fact they're black too means they will go with basically everything and anything, which is always handy for throwing together outfits in the morning.

I've been loving the look of turtle necks recently and this white short sleeved top (£10) caught my eye straight away!  I love the length of the sleeves on this and the overall finish of it.  The white is really clean and sharp looking and would look great under some sort of black strappy dress with tights or even a pair of black trousers.  There are so many ways this can be styled which is ideal for changing up looks everyday.

A skirt is also a great staple item to have and I love the look of these pleated mini skirts (£15). The black is great for pairing with most items but I also love the colour of the orange to add a little something extra to a plain outfit.  

A new pair of shoes are always on the cards and I immediately fell in love with these patent chunky ballet pumps (£18).  I love the bow and the shine from them.  They also look much more hard-wearing and durable than a normal pair of ballet pumps which can sometimes juts fall apart the second time they are on your feet!

So that was some items I think are perfect for work wear and hopefully gave you some inspiration should you ever need it.

What items do you think are staple for work?  

Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad Eyeshadow

Smokey brown eyes are perfect for autumn so when I saw this Rimmel Glam Eyes eyeshadow set (£6.99) I plopped it right in my basket.  The set comes with a mix of 4 colours ranging from a cream to a beige to a gold to a brown.  The colours are extremely flattering to my brown eyes and perfect for everyday wear.  They mix well together which means a range of different looks can be created.  They have a lovely shimmer to them which makes your eyes look twinkly and bright.  

The set is also perfect for on-the-go as it is small and compact meaning it can easily be transported to work, uni or wherever you may be going to give a little touch up through the day without weighing your bag down like some palettes might.  It's also very purse-friendly cashing in at only £6.99.  This can be picked up in Superdrug and comes in a variety of colours to suit all eyes.  Overall, this is great for a subtle everyday smokey eye look as the colours are not too harsh or offending.  They add an ounce of glam to a day-to-day look without breaking the old purse-strings, perfect really!   

What eyeshadows have you been loving recently?  

Winter Nude Lips

While the autumnal berry tones are in full swing in the lip department at the moment, I'm already preparing my lips for the winter months.  I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to bold lips, wearing purples and reds on a daily basis terrifies me.  I feel like people are staring at me and thinking 'who does she think she is?' silly I know as no one probably cares what colour my lips are!  More subtle colours like nudes and pinks are my safe haven, I feel they suit my skin tone better too, so when I saw this Maybelline Colour Show Lipstick in Nude Perfection (£4.99) I just knew I had to get it. 

The lipstick is different to a regular lipstick in the sense it comes as a thick pencil as opposed to a tube.  It is very easy to apply and really pigmented.  I just run it over my lips a few times and they are full of colour.  The colour itself is very non-offensive and a classic nude tone, it can be easily worn everyday but also dressed up with smoky eyes for a night out.  It looks quite matte when applied and while this may work on some, I have quite dry lips, so I just swipe a little bit of Vaseline over the top and make it a bit more moisturised. 

Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture that truly did the shade justice, but in my opinion this is a top contender for being a classic winter nude.  The colour is really complementary to my skin and lasts for a good while throughout the day.  Even more, with it being only only £4.99, it's very purse friendly!  

What lip look will you be wearing this winter?  

Crushing on Ciate

It's getting to that time of year when all the shops are stocking their Christmas goodies, including Advent Calendars.  I'm normally a chocolate advent calendar kinda gal but this year I have been eyeing up the Ciate Mini Mani Manor Nail Polish Advent Calendar (£49).  

In my opinion this is literally heaven - a new nail polish every single day leading up to Christmas? What more could you possibly ask for? The 24-piece set includes 17 of Ciate's most popular shades, an exclusive full-size paint pot and a set of festive nail transfers.  The manor comes in 3 variations so it's a lucky dip which one you will get. 

 Cashing in at £49 this may seem pricey and I must admit, when I first saw the price I was a bit like woah but thinking about it, this is a total bargain.  With Ciate nail polishes being £9 individually, getting 24 nail polishes for £49 is good going.   

This may just have to be an early Christmas present to myself from myself.  Hey, it's Christmas!

Have you got your eye on any beauty advent calendars this year? 

BLEACH London

BLEACH London are a brand I've lusted after for a long time, with their hair dyes available in every colour under the rainbow and cool, grungy vibe I've always loved them.  Unfortunately I'm not anywhere near brave enough to take the plunge and dye my hair bright blue so instead I decided to try a few of their hair care and styling products and when they are included in the Boots 3 for 2 deal, you just can't turn that down!  

Firstly, I picked up the Reincarnation Mask (£6.00), this is a hair mask which is applied into hair pre-shampoo and left to set for 10-20 minutes, I usually leave it on for just over 20 to make my hair super soft.  For an even better effect, wrap your hair in a warm towel for the 20 minutes too!  I then shampoo and condition my hair as normal and voila, my hair feels so soft and refreshed, it is literally so silky and smooth I could sit and run my fingers through it all day.  It also smells amazing unlike some other hair makes I've used in the past.  If your hair needs a little lovin' I definitely suggest trying this out, it isn't only used for bleached hair as you may think, you can use it if your hair is even just damaged from heat and this will give it a little boost. 

Next on my list was the Split-Fix Serum (£6.00), this serum is applied to the ends of your hair after washing to help smooth and tame fly-aways.  My hair is an absolute nightmare for fly-aways and I really find this product to be helpful.  It helps smooth the ends and make my split ends less prominent.  It's also really lightweight so doesn't weigh your hair down or leave it feeling greasy.  An absolute staple in my hair care routine.  

Lastly, I picked up the Swamp Spritz (£6.00), this is a sea salt spray used to add texture to hair and help achieve that messy 'I woke up like this look' all girls want to achieve.  It's basically making an effort to look like you haven't made an effort.  I applied this to clean, damp hair and then scrunched up the ends and dried on a cool heat with the hairdryer.  This is the only product I wasn't 100% happy with as my hair just looked more frizzy and a bit bush-like, however, I don't blame the product as I have read many reviews of this with people who had fantastic results, I think it is simply my hair (sigh).  Some people may have been happy with the result of this but it just wasn't the look I was trying to achieve. And so my search continues to find a sea salt spray that gives me my messy bed-head look minus the resemblance of a bush. 

Overall, I was really impressed with the BLEACH London range, I think the products are an amazing quality for the price.  I'll definitely be making a few re-purchases and who knows maybe next time I will take the plunge and have bright blue hair.... Probably not.

Have you used any of the BLEACH London range?  Are you braver than me and used the dreamy hair dyes?  Let me know!  

Nail Art Take One

Nail art has never been my forte.  My unsteady hands and blatant clumsiness prevent me from being able to create dreamy designs and patterns on my nails.  However, being the self-confessed nail polish addict I am, the Models Own Nail Art Tool Kit made it's way into my life (shout out to my best friend who bought it for me for my birthday last month) and I've only just now got around to trying it out.  The kit comes with 2 dotting tools, a range of brushes and nail art tape, everything you need to create a variety of designs. 

I decided to make my first (ahem) masterpiece some standard dots.  My polishes of choice were the Models Own HyperGel in Cornflower Gleam, a blue-y purple, and White Light, a clean white, (both £4.99).  

I began by painting my nails in two coats of Cornflower Gleam.  When these were dry I ran over them with a top coat (which I forgot to photograph - d'oh!) to help prevent chipping and to give them a more professional finish.  Once the top coat had completely set I poured a small blob of White Light onto a plastic packet.  Using the dotting brushes I carefully began to dot the white over my nails in various sizes and positions.  The tools were very effective and easy to maneuver across my nails, they picked up the polish well and didn't clump, run or dry out, which I was worried about.  

The final product could use some work and I am by no means claiming to be a pro nail artist but I did find the tools in the set great and easy to work with even with my unsteady hands and clumsiness!  I'm hoping to use one of the brushes next time and give hearts a go... Practice makes perfect, right? 

Have you used any Nail Art Tool Kits?  How did you get on? 

Living Proof Prime Style Extender

When I found out none other than Jennifer Aniston swears by the Living Proof Prime Style Extender (£18) I just knew I had to get my hands on it.  I mean, Jennifer Aniston, come on, her hair is practically legendary!  

The product is said to hold style in your hair up to 2 times longer and even hold up against extreme weather conditions, something that is very much needed living in Scotland.  The product is applied generously to clean, damp hair from roots to end and can be layered with other products or worn on its own, the choice is completely yours.  I used mine along with a split fix serum and heat protecting spray and began to blow dry and straighten as normal.  When I was finished I was immediately pleased with the results.  My hair looked smoother and sleeker and the finish was something I hadn't ever gotten with other products.  The real test however was facing the wind and outdoors, I have to admit that I was dubious when I heard this could fight against bad weather but it proved me wrong.  After enduring a very windy walk to work I was expecting to see nothing but a ball of frizz on my head but this couldn't be further from what I had found.  My hair still looked smooth and straight!  Something which is unheard of with my frizz-prone hair.  The primer also repels dirt so hair is left looking cleaner for longer (who wouldn't love this???)

For me, this product has been a God-send.  I face a constant battle of frizzy hair but this has definitely helped keep the frizz at bay and leave my hair feeling smoother for much longer.  The products are a little pricey with the primer cashing in at £18 but it is definitely worth it in my opinion and 100% something I would recommend.  

Have you tried any of the Living Proof products?  

Nutty for Cherry

For as long as I can remember my mum has always called me by the nickname of 'Cherry'.  No one really knows why, not even my mum!  It just slipped out in conversation one day and it stuck. Since then I've always have a strong compulsion to buy everything and anything cherry related, so when I saw this Cherry and Macadamia Nut Body Butter I just knew I had to buy it. 

The Cherry and Macadamia Nut Body Butter (£1.99, usually £3.99) is SuperDrug's own brand and was bought purely for the fact it was cherry based.  When I picked it up I had no idea just how dreamy it would be.  The scent is heavenly!  It's powerful but not over-bearing and stays on the skin for a good while. The butter itself is a thick and creamy texture that spreads on the skin beautifully. Luckily, it's not so thick that you feel slimy and gross after using it as it sinks into the skin so quickly and leaves it soft and sweet-smelling. 

I think this Body Butter is going to be my go-to autumn scent.  This may seem an odd fruit to dedicate to any season other than summer, but the tiny hint of nut tones it down from being a totally summery scent.  This Body Butter is definitely one of the best that I've used and with more scents available I just might need to make another stop at SuperDrug... 

Have you tried any dreamy Body Butters lately? 

Suki Waterhouse: Blonde vs Brunette

Blonde dayz

Brunette 

Now for anyone who may not know, Suki Waterhouse is my ultimate girl crush.  I absolutely adore her.  I love the grungy vibe she can pull off but then make an appearance in a ball gown looking like she just stepped straight out of a fairytale (Met Ball anyone??).  Suki's messy blonde locks have always been very high on my list of enviable hair so I was shocked to see she ditched the blonde for a darker look last month.  

Her golden blonde locks were swapped for a more medium/dark brown, a drastic change for any girl!  At first I was completely against it and was praying she would go back blonde this very second but the more pictures I've seen of her, the more I think she totally works it. 

Overall, personally, I prefer her as a blonde but either way she is still a complete babe and my number 1 girl crush.  Maybe she can do no wrong in my eyes, but hey!  

What about you, do you prefer Suki as a blonde or a brunette? 

Eau Roma Toner Water

It's no secret that I love a good LUSH product.  My latest purchase has been this Eau Roma Toner Water (£7.95 for 250g).  I have to admit even though this product is said to suitable for very sensitive skin, I was still hesitant to lather it on my face as I'm prone to breakouts, but I shouldn't have worried.  This water is so light and fresh, it leaves my skin feeling clean and soft.  The fragrance isn't heavy or over-powering and the rose and lavender leave the skin looking glowy and bright.  

My skin is annoyingly quite uneven in colour and sometimes even feels a bit grey, this helps to really even it out and make me look a bit more alive than I sometimes feel.  I simply spray some onto a cotton wool pad in the morning to give my face a gentle clean before applying my makeup and then again in the evening just after I have taken my makeup off to remove any excess.  

The water is so light it can even be sprayed directly onto your face whilst wearing makeup without causing any damage.  This is perfect for me during the day when I've hit that mid-day lull at work and I'm quite ready to pack it in.  I just give my face a quick spray and my skin looks brighter and I feel refreshed.  It also dries in a few seconds so you're not left looking or feeling sweaty and sticky.  

Overall, I feel this has been a great addition to my skincare routine, it leaves it looking and feeling so much softer and I look a lot less zombie-like in the mornings (win).

Have you tried any Lush toners?  Which ones work for you? 

Grow, grow, grow your hair

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the picture really not being the best.  Leaving the house in the morning when it's dark and coming home at night when it's dark really leaves no time to get any natural light for pictures, so please bare with me.  Plus I live in Scotland - so sunlight is rare at the best of times! 

Anyway, enough of my rambling, I thought I would tell you a bit about a new shampoo and conditioner I picked up a few weeks ago.  I'm usually horrifically picky when it comes to shampoo and conditioners, I spend forever looking at the pro's and con's of different brands and the benefits to the hair.  My hair is naturally quite oily but at the same time quite dry due to heat and colour damage (annoying, I know).  I'm always worried it will either be extremely greasy an hour after washing or so dry and dull the minute I do anything with it.  That's why it's so strange I bought this pair without analysing them down to the very last detail!

I had been after a caffeine shampoo for ages, because like most girls, I want long luscious locks.  I had previously seen the Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo, but I had never seen a conditioner to match and I'm one of those people who feel shampoo and conditioner need to be a set so I had never bought it.   When I spotted this set in a Bodycare shop I immediately scooped them up.  The brand, Natural World, is not one I had heard of, so the fact I actually bought them is still mind-boggling, but after I looked into them a bit I found they have quite a number of products you can check out here.  They're also great for the bank balance coming in at only £3.99 a bottle compared to the £5.49 for only the Alpecin Shampoo.  

They state to be suitable for all hair types, which I'm always dubious about, but I needn't have worried.  The shampoo and conditioner worked great with my hair and gave it just the right amount of moisture.  It made my hair feel not too greasy and not too dry, a perfect balance!  I also found that after a few washes my hair did in fact feel longer.  Yes, really!  My hair takes forever to grow and I was surprised that this did speed up the growth.  Now I'm not saying you're going to use this and wake up like Rapunzel, but if you're after a speedier hair growth I would definitely recommend this shampoo and conditioner!  I've only been using them both for a little over a month (and had a trim in between) and my hair definitely feels longer.  Result!  

The Natural World Caffeine Power Shampoo and Conditioner are available in Superdrug and Bodycare stores from what I've seen so far. 

This product gets a big thumbs up from me and I'm definitely looking into trying more Natural World products. 

Have you tried any Natural World products?  How were they for you? 

10 things I learned at my first full-time job

After working at my current job for a year and 2 months I've learned a thing or two and so, with the start date of my new job (eeeek) drawing closer, I thought I would round up a few of the things I learned while working my first full-time 9-5:

• How to carry 6 coffees along with keys, a phone and money through a busy town back to the office without spilling anything.
• How to scan and photocopy what appears to be 3 million documents in 20 minutes.
• How to resist the urge to eat all the treats in the Honesty Box.
• How to get dressed in the morning in around 15 minutes.
• How to deal with tough phone calls without crying/hanging up/swearing.
• How to write passive aggressive office clean-up notes.
• How to always find a pen when yours inevitably gets stolen.
• How to organise your life via post-it notes.
• How to recognise when you deserve a happy hour drink, ie everyday at 5 o'clock. 
• How to pretend you actually have a clue what you're doing with your life. 

Let me know if I missed anything you learned at your first job!  

A/W Wishlist

I know I'm not the only one who feels like their wardrobe needs a total re-vamp the minute a new season rolls around and it's safe to say this A/W is no different.  After browsing on numerous websites, wandering round countless shops and watching a bunch of Lookbooks, I have quite the wishlist.  

The first thing on my list is this gorgeous top from Urban Outfitters.  I can only blame the lovely Corrie for this.  After watching her Haul the other day I am obsessed with this top.  I think it's so different to anything I've seen on the High Street recently, I love the lace and the cut out shoulders.  It's more of a need than a want really.

Next on my list is the Jamie Jeans from Topshop.  Yes, nothing unusual here, a girl after some Topshop jeans but I have been after a pair of ripped black jeans for about 4 months now and every pair I see I have some sort of grumble about them.  But alas, I saw these while I was aimlessly strolling around in town and they are perfect.  The material is also a little thicker than the Leigh jeans which is key with A/W having arrived as it is going to be getting much colder! I might be risking some frost bite on my knees...

Okay so I'm kind of loving knitted dresses at the minute and this lovely lilac one from River Island is killing it.  It just looks so soft and snuggly and absolutely perfect for long winter days at the office. 

ASOS is fast becoming one of my favourite places to shop and this Mono Gingham Shirt is just one of the reasons why.  I have been after a shirt like this for ages but never actually gotten round to buying one.  Can I just point out it's £25!  Talk about a bargain.  

Another shirt from ASOS I have my eye on is this Green Check one.  I really like the colour of this shirt as I feel most check shirts have red tones in them whereas this is green based, which I think is so different.  I don't own much green and this would be good to add a pop of it to my wardrobe.  

It's kind of like a rule that you need new boots for winter, so when these beautiful Chelsea Boots on ASOS caught my eye, I knew I had to have them.  For me, these would be primarily worn to work so comfort is key.  That means a flat heel, I can't face walking up and down flights of stairs and getting on buses in heels everyday.  These have the tiniest heel so sore feet would be very unlikely.  I love the shine of them and they're very different to the boots I had last year which were more patent than shiny.  They also look durable which is important when living in rainy Scotland through winter!

So this is my current A/W Wishlist, it will no doubt have a few additions by this time tomorrow.  Now I'm just wondering how long they will stay on the list before they end up in my wardrobe...

What's on your current wishlist?  

  

LUSH Haul

When I saw that LUSH had released its Christmas and Halloween products I just knew i had to get in and have a look.  Luckily for me, I pass by a LUSH shop on my way to work everyday and not for the first time, I popped in "to have a look".  I've said this many times and going in "to have a look" isn't a real thing.  I left 15 minutes later armed with wonderful new goodies.  

The first thing I picked up was the Think Pink Bath Bomb.  This smelled amazing.  I was immediately drawn to it by the look alone, I loved the assortment of flowers sitting on the top of the bomb.  It was described as "feeling like you're getting a big hug" and who doesn't love a good hug? When it was added to the bath water, it smelled vanilly/citrusy and turned the water a lovely shade of pink.  There was also some little love hearts which dissolved from it that added a little something extra and kept me amused in the bath for a good 10 minutes.   

The next thing on my list was the First Snow Dusting Powder.  I loved the idea of this being a talcum powder but also adding sparkle to your skin as I'm a complete sucker for a little bit of glitter.  This has a citrus smell but it's not too overbearing.  It's very lightweight and the sparkle isn't too much.  I find a little goes a long way with this also and think it will be absolutely perfect for Christmas parties!  There is a partner body lotion Celebrate to go with this but unfortunately I wasn't able to pick that up. 

The coveted Snow Fairy was next on my list.  Believe it or not, I was a total Snow Fairy virgin before last week.  Yes shocking, I know I know.  But after rave reviews from everyone and anyone I just knew I had to get my hands on this and boy, I was not disappointed.  This is the sweetest smelling shower gel I've ever used.  It's smells like candy and fruit (if that makes sense) but it is absolutely lovely.  The smell truly lives up to the name and the pink colour with it's sweet scent, it lingers on you for a good while but not in a way that makes people choke when they sit beside you.  It's definitely worth picking this up and trying it for yourself if you want a little something sweet in your life. 

The final "purchase" if you will, was the £1 Charity Pot.  This was the Hand and Body Lotion which smells amazing and even though the pot is small, there is quite a large quantity inside.  It's perfect for popping in your handbag and using on-the-go.  Plus you're donating to charity which is always a good thing.

I have my eyes on a few other LUSH products at the minute and will keep you posted on anything else I do buy.  In particular, the Christmas Candy Box, this just might be on the top of my Christmas list. 

Have you tried any of the LUSH Christmas or Halloween goodies?  What are your favourites?

Thanks for reading.