September Beauty Favourites

Well, here we are again, another month has passed by and I'm searching through all of my beauty products to see what I've really enjoyed using the most throughout September. Can you believe that Summer has been and gone, and we're now going into Autumn which I'm really looking forward to so much this year, it could be my new favourite season. My pumpkin candle has already been lit a couple of evenings this week and I've been eyeing up all the gorgeous new coats and knitwear that are in the shops right now. And I've even been making plans for Christmas, which is so organised for me it's unreal! One thing I can't bring myself to enjoy is a Pumpkin Spice Latte, yuk, it's just too milky for my liking, no I'll always be a cappuccino girl!

I have a lot of new additions this month so I'd better stop chatting and talk you through what's made it into this month's beauty favourites.

Tea and Cake at Molly's

You know those times when you walk down the same street you've walked down a hundred times before and you're in your own little world, thinking about a million and one things you have to do. Well it was one of those occasions when a friend, who I'd not seen in ages, stopped me to say hello. We chatted for a bit and caught up with what was happening in each other's lives, when she suddenly asked me if I'd ever been in Molly's Tea Room and she pointed towards the shop that we were standing right outside. I had to admit I didn't even know it was there! She asked me if I'd got time for a quick cup of tea and it just so happened that particular day I was on top of my very long to do list. So in we went.

Shadow Switch Review

Does anyone really love cleaning their makeup brushes? It can seem like a real chore but I do try and clean mine at least once a week, however I will admit to sometimes using a dab of makeup remover on a cotton pad to wipe over the brush, especially if it's been a busy week and I've just not had time to clean them properly or I want to use my favourite blending brush for a neutral eye shadow and it's still full of yesterdays dark smokey eye shades.
I know, surely there's an easier way to get just one or two brushes clean and without going through all the hassle of waiting for them to dry afterwards?

My Must Have Accessories For Autumn

Hurray, my first fashion post for the new season! As the days get colder and the nights get darker earlier, I thought I'd dig out a few favourite autumn accessories of mine that will see me right through the next few months. I've had a huge clear out in my wardrobe lately but there are some classic items that I just can't part with and will look perfect with any new clothing I get this year.
As I mentioned in my Autumn post, I am really getting excited about the season this year and that goes for clothing and accessories too.

So let's see what my must have accessories for Autumn are.

Poundland Haul

Quite a while ago I discovered that I really enjoyed shopping in Poundland, you can safely say I am slightly addicted to it. I find it's a great place to pick really good blog props, branded beauty products, cute homeware pieces and even my basic stationery items.
However, I've never been brave enough to try their own make up brand, Make Up Gallery apart from the odd nail varnish. Last month I was in Poundland stocking up on beauty basics, tissues and cotton wool, oh and I'd even picked up some sweet treats for a movie night, and there right near the tills was the Make Up Gallery stand. I actually went over because I'd been looking for a yellow nail varnish but sadly they didn't have one, yet it got me thinking, would the other products in this £1 makeup range be any good?
So after much deliberation as to whether or not to try it and looking through their vast range of products, I finally decided on a few items to take home with me and test out.

So here's what I got.

What I Love About Autumn

Do you know how incredibly excited I am about Autumn this year? And I mean really excited! It surprised me because I usually love the Spring but this year it just seems so different. Last September I hadn't even started my blog so this year I've been reading more posts about Autumn and that's really helped to get me in the mood. A few Saturday's ago I even put away most of my summer clothes, that's how excited I've been to dig out the chunky knits! Then of course, the weather has been really warm and sunny ever since, so all of you Autumn lovers out there can blame me for that, I think I jinxed it!

So here are all of my favourite things about Autumn.

Amelia Moss Skincare*

I first starting looking after my skin a number of years ago now, but before that I'd just slap on the first thing I had to hand and didn't really think about what I was putting on my skin or the effects it would have. I really want to keep looking after my skin and continue to have a good routine, using the right products for my skin type which is also really important to me. I've been looking more at what goes into a product and what benefits it will have on my skin so when Amelia Moss got in touch with me to talk about their 100% natural oils I was keen to learn more and they very kindly sent me their Jojoba Oil and Rose Water skin toner for me to try. All of their products are multi-purpose, you can use the oil as a cleanser, moisturiser and even work some through your hair to help combat dryness. I love this really simple, yet very effective, skincare routine from Amelia Moss. The brand has five different oils and they are all completely natural and 100% pure and organic, straight from the nut or plant, so you really know what you're actually putting onto your skin, there aren't any nasty surprises.

Monthly Favourites

I hope you've all had a wonderful month since my last monthly favourites post. Normally I'm sitting here writing how fast the month has flown by, but for me August seemed to have dragged on forever. It's been a funny month with a real mix of emotions, there have been times when I've felt really happy and other times I've just felt really down after a few stressful things that have happened. On the whole though, things are going quite well at the moment and I'm hoping it stays that way.
So I'll get straight into talking you through my beauty and lifestyle favourites from August.

Things That Make Me Happy

Very often it's the simplest of things in life that make me happy. Those little things that I can sometimes take for granted and other times I've had to raid my penny pot in order to have a little treat! Well, a girl's got to have a few treats, right?
I've always loved writing and have kept a diary for years where I've written down what's made me happy on that particular day, as well as what's made me really angry or upset. It was while I was reading through some old teenage diaries a few weeks ago that gave me the inspiration for this post, so I thought it would be quite nice to share what things make me happy throughout the year.

Blossoming Gifts Bouquet *

I love having fresh flowers in my house, especially in my favourite vase on my dressing table in the bedroom so it's the first thing I see in the morning. I think they really add a touch of colour and brighten up any room. I've had flowers sent to me for my birthday or if I've left a company where I've been working and it's always wonderful to receive them from special people in my life. Other times, I've usually been to a local shop and bought a bunch of flowers if I need to cheer myself up.

A few weeks ago Abby from Blossoming Gifts emailed me to asked if I'd like to receive and write about one of their beautiful bouquets. Of course, it didn't take me too long to reply and say that this is would be something I'd love to do. The only problem I had was deciding which bouquet to have!

One very special thing I do have for all of you is an exclusive discount code! But more about that later.

How I Style A Black Lace Dress

I realise that I'm probably getting a bit late with a Summer fashion post as everyone's more than likely thinking about getting their Autumn coats! But do you know what? It's not very often that I find a spaghetti strap dress that I not only love, but also feel confident enough to wear and have my photo taken wearing it.

The little black dress has been a wardrobe staple for years and believe me, I've had my fair share of them. I think it's one of the easiest pieces to style, whatever the season or occasion. It's the first thing I grab for a last minute party invite, chuck on a statement necklace and a pair of heels and I'm good to go!

But black lace in Summer? That's a different story.

Glossybox August 2016

I'm slightly obssessed with beauty products and when something as gorgeous as my monthly Glossybox arrives in the post I do tend to get a little bit excited. Normally I'd tear straight into the box without even thinking about photos or a blog post as I'm way too impatient and can't wait to see what's inside. So I thought that this month I'd share my first unboxing post with you and let you have a sneaky peak of what came in the August Glossybox  (sorry - Spoiler Alert!!).

It's Glossybox's 5th birthday and to celebrate this month they've joined up with the luxury accessory label Rae Feather to give subcribers a special collectors edition, including an accessory exclusively designed by the brand, and the packaging is definitely different to their usual pink and black style.
Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription service and inside each box there are 4 to 5 carefully selected makeup, hair, body or nail products from well known or new brands.

So let's see what's inside.

My Haircare Essentials

I've been having my hair colour treated and using heated appliances for years and it's really taken it's toll on the condition of my hair. Don't get me wrong, I love my long hair and I will never have it cut short but it can be a real pain to maintain sometimes. I did have it cut to about shoulder length once and I really regretted it afterwards, then spent months moaning about it until my hair finally grew back to a length that made me feel like me again. My natural hair colour is a kind of strawberry blonde, so I'm not really very adventurous when it comes to dying it different colours though, I've just gone a lot blonder. The only time I have ever seen myself with dark hair was when I wore a black wig for a Halloween party I went to and I'd dressed up as a witch, it seemed so weird, but I had such a brilliant night that it was worth it!
I thought it was about time I did a whole post that was purely about my haircare routine and for those of you with dry, colour treated hair, this may be of some help. All of these products are ones that I've found to work well on my hair type and keep it in good condition. Some of them are old favourites, a couple are new discoveries but these are the hair products that I'm currently reaching for every week.

What I've Been Up To

Blimey, I can't believe we are well over half way through this year and July seemed to fly past so fast that I barely had time to catch my breath. Mind you, it was a busier month that normal for me after a few lows the month before so I was probably making up for things. We lost a close member of our family and even though she had been ill for some time it still came as a shock and my way to deal with grief is to shut myself away from the rest of the world. I suppose we all deal with these things differently. Ruth was a cheeky, fun loving lady who was always the life and sole of the party and I'll always remember the good times we spent together most Wednesdays. I know she would want me to make the most of everyday and do whatever made me happy. I can hear her now saying "Stop worrying about it and just get on with it!"
You see, she knew me well as I'm a natural worrier. It's all too easy for me to think of reasons why not to do something, rather than hey, give it a go and if it fails then at least I've tried.
One of the things I've wanted to do for a while is introduce a few more lifestyle posts, but my blog mainly covers fashion and beauty so I just kept putting it off. I think the last post I wrote about what I've been up to was in the New Year. I thought it would be a nice way to look back on what I have done but somehow I've found it hard to sit at my computer and let the words flow in an "On Line Diary" kind of way.
So I'm going to stop worrying and just get on with it!

Monthly Favourites: July

Yes, it's time for the monthly favourite post again! I have a few makeup items that I've just really enjoyed using and a couple of lifestyle things that have made me really happy this month.
So I'll jump straight to it.

Daily Skincare: LIQ C Serum*

Every morning and evening I like to do a full skincare routine as not only am I looking after my skin but I find it's almost like a mini pamper session and very therapeutic, especially at end of a long day. One of the products I love to use is a serum, which I've mentioned a few times in previous posts. I've been using one for a while now and have noticed what a big difference it has made to my skin's appearance compared to applying just a moisturiser on it's own after cleansing and toning.
A serum has helped with a whole host of skin problems from giving my skin a bit of a boost to brighten it up and to give it some much needed re-hydration.
For me another area I worry about are the signs of getting older. I know this is something that I can't stop (oh if only!) but by using a serum it has helped with any fine lines I do have and hopefully keep it looking younger for just that little bit longer.

Primers I've been using

A good primer is one of those products that I just love having in my makeup bag and with so many around it's hard to know which one to choose. Some primers claim to hide your pores, some give you a matte finish or a lovely super glow and some actually give your makeup a little extra staying power.
Using a primer was something that I never really used to bother about until recently, now that I do I've noticed a big difference with how my makeup looks and lasts.
There are two main primers I've been testing out recently and I'm sure, like me, you've probably seen both of these talked about a lot. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Here's how I got on.

Real Techniques Brush Cleaning Palette

Cleaning my make up brushes is one of those jobs that I know I need to do but it can take forever and sometimes it can feel like a real chore. I know it's good hygiene to regularly remove all the oil, make up residue and dead skin cells (sounds disgusting doesn't it!) and with some brushes not being cheap I also want to make them last longer and get my money's worth.
Normally I'd clean my brushes using my hands and some baby shampoo, occasionally a tiny drop of baby oil first on sponges and brushes that have been used for foundation or concealer as it helps break down the build up of product.
So when I came across Real Techniques brush cleaning palette a while back I thought it was just one of those things that I didn't need and that there were other things to spend my money on. I saw more and more people using them and saying how good they were by saving them so much time with this weekly chore. I had a moment of weakness and ended up buying one.

Random Facts About Me

I thought it'd be quite fun for you to get to know me a little better now I've been blogging for a few months with a some totally random facts about me that you may not already know. You may have come across a couple of these already but stick around and you may find out something new, including a few personal ones.

June Beauty Favourites

It only seems like yesterday that I was writing last months favourites post and I can't believe we're here again already!
Now I've talked a lot about my favourite makeup products recently so I wanted to concentrate more on what skincare products I've been absolutely loving during June.
I like to take care of my skin all year round but while we are in the warmer months there's more of it on show due to wearing lighter clothes with short sleeves or open toe shoes and using lighter makeup products too. Although we haven't had too many really hot days so far, you just never know and I always like to be prepared, just in case!
So, lets get straight on with this months beauty favourites.