Braceless & Mac Russian Red

Yesterday, at 11:50 am, I got my braces removed! After two years it feels amazing to finally be able to feel my teeth again.

To celebrate this momentous occasion I went and bought Mac Russian Red. I've always wanted a red lipstick but I've never had the confidence to wear it with a metal mouth. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention towards it! So this is my first ever red lipstick. I chose Russian Red because it has a berry tone to it rather than a stark red. It is a matte finish but the creamy texture means it applies like a dream. I haven't worn this out yet but to stop it bleeding and make it last longer I'll be returning to  Mac to get a red lip liner. I'll definitely start wearing brighter lipsticks now!

Do you have a favourite red lipstick?

Thanks for reading x                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Out and About Make Up

*The title should definitely be read in a Scottish or Canadian accent*
I never used to take a make up bag out with me often but now I'm rarely with out it. Be prepared! Although most of it is just for emergencies because I feel self concious doing my make up in the toilets or with lots of people around. Anyone else get that?

The make up bag I use is one my Mum got free from Clinique. I 'borrowed' it a few months a go because I love the pattern on the front. It reminds me of the Miu Miu lip clutch bag that I have wanted for years!

1. Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 101
Lippy is the only make up I  always touch up in public. The lipstick I have in here changes almost everyday but at the moment I have been loving this one as it is so creamy and smells good.

2. Collection Concealer in Fair

For those emergencies when you look in the mirror and think "God I look awful". To be honest I don't use it when I am out and about much because, like I said before I get quite self conscious doing my make up.


3.Cherry Carmex
A must have in the winter! Whenever I put this on I get comments on how nice the smell is.Its cheap and has lasted me for ages. Perfect!

4. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - Peach Glow
I love this powder! It doesn't really give coverage as such but it does reduce the appearance of pores and give a soft finish. Surprisingly Peach Glow doesn't leave skin orangey it just gives your skin some colour which is great for pale skins. My nose gets oily but this powder keeps it matte for about 4-5 hours. I recommend trying it.

5. Barry M Kohl Liner- Black

I use a little bit of this on my waterline just to give it some definition. Its not great as it feels quite rough and smudges throughout the day. The hunt is on for a better replacement!

Thanks for reading!x

Blogging Advice

Yes, you are seeing right. Now I am not so big headed that I think on my 17th post I can be giving out advice to other bloggers or people thinking of starting a blog. I'm aware that I'm still naive in the blogging  world and still making a million mistakes.
Yesterday I came across this video by Zoella and Sprinkle Of Glitter. I'm sure you all know them but if you don't you're a fool to miss out on their videos! Anyway they made this video many moons ago to give advice to any one starting a blog because they frequently get asked for help. It was the most useful video I have watched so I thought I would share it with you.

Its worth watching all the way through but if you don't want to I'll do a little summary for you. Basically they say that a blog should be started for the enjoyment of it not to become popular and get sent free samples. If you do that it just won't work. The following number really doesn't matter because if you enjoy writing your blog and feel passionately followers will come over time. Louise only had 69 followers on her blog's 6 month anniversary! Never compare yourself to another blog because every blog is unique and you'll end up feeling a bit bad about it all. There is a lot more advice about little thing like the appearance of your blog, photos etc. but I'll let you watch it to find that out otherwise I'll be rambling on forever.

Blogging is a fun way to share your interests, meet new people and become part of a community. I have to say I'm chuffed with my 28 followers so far so thank you all very much. I hope you found this useful!
Thanks for reading x

♡Collective Haul♡

I've picked up quite a few make up bits and some skincare recently so here is a collective haul to show you all the pretty things I treated myself to and some gifts too!

Sephora Full Effects Mascara, Sephora Miami Pink Lip Gloss,
Sephora  Purple Glitter Eye Liner

We don't have Sephora in the UK so my very lovely American Aunt and cousin sent me over a few little bits for my birthday. One day I really want to do a make up swap with someone from across the pond! I love the lip gloss because it reminds me of being a kid- pink & glitter! (Swatch further down). Plus the formulation isn't too sticky and the wand is a really cool shape. The purple eye liner is packed full of amazing multi-coloured glitter too. Sprinkle Of Glitter would be oh so proud! I haven't tried any of the other products yet but if there is anything you would like a full review on let

me know.

Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps £6.65, Batiste Wild Dry Shampoo £2.50 

The other day my Mum went to the opening of a new Simply Be shop in Manchester Arndale. She got a great goody bag and gave me these bits from it! Batiste is a brand I have tried before and I know many people love it but I don't seem to get along with it. I find the scents  unpleasantly powdery and the white powder on the hair can be difficult to brush out. Since I got it free I'll give it another try! Once again late on the craze, I actually have never tried nail wraps before. I love leopard print so I am excited to use these very soon.

  

MUA Cream Blush in Bitter Sweet £2, MUA Blush in Shade 2 £1

Swatches from left to right: MUA Powder Blush, MUA Cream Blush
and Sephora Miami Pink Lip Gloss

MUA is a brand I have talked about before. If you're selective you can find some great products so it''s fantastic for people on a budget! The blushes are soft and blend-able although the powder blush is much more pigmented than the cream blush. If you want to read a full review on the new cream blushes click here to see what AThriftyMrs says.

Good Things Fresh Start Cleanser £4.99, Good Things Five  Minute Facial Mask £5.99
( When full price)

I bought this face mask and face wash after hearing Zoe, Cole's Mum, talk about them on youtube. She said that her daughter gets under the skin spots (sort of like little colourless spots) and another skin care blogger recommend that she tries out Good Things products. It is an affordable brand especially for teenagers which is exactly what I need! And they are currently half price in Sainsburys so I had to buy them. Apparently they have been effective for Zoe's daughter so I am looking forward to giving them a go. Both the mask and face wash smell gorgeously fruity!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Ivory Nude £27.50,
MAC pump £3.50

Expensive I know but I can justify it! I have very pale skin with yellow undertones and anyone who is the in the same boat will agree it is very difficult to find a foundation to match. I got sick of using the wrong colour foundation because it is after all the base so you need to get it right. After a bit of thought, I figured it would end up more economical to splash out on a high end foundation than keep buying lots of high street foundations that aren't right. The woman at the Estee Lauder counter was very lovely and matched me up to the shade Ivory Nude. I did a lot of research before buying it and one of the reasons I chose it is for the wide colour range which makes it more likely to get a better colour match. I really like it so far but I haven't used it enough yet to give any fair opinions so expect a full review in the not too distant future!

Thanks for reading! x

Bargain Of The Fortnight! #1

This is a new thing I will start doing. Once every two weeks I'll post about a beauty bargain I've found. After all everybody loves a bargain!

So this fortnight's bargain is a Jack Wills Lipstick in Rosewood. I picked it up from an outlet when I was in Shepton Mallet at the weekend. Its normal price is £9.50 but I got it for £2! Outlets are a great way of getting perfectly good make up for discounted prices.

As I got it at an Outlet there were no testers so I bought it blind. When I first opened it I didn't like the colour as it isn't something I'd normally chose. But on the lips it comes out as a gorgeous red toned brown. It has a sheer glossy finish which feels moisturising and hides imperfections. If I had to some up this shade I'd describe it as an Autumn 'my lips but better' shade.

Sorry this picture is so bad, it was really difficult to show the true colour!

Thanks for reading!x

Mid Month Favourites

At the end of the month there are so many monthly favourites around so to mix things up a bit I decided to do my favourites in the middle (-ish) of the month. That's just the kind of crazy life I lead!

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette:

Recently I have been really loving the MUA Heaven And Earth Palette. There are 12 well pigmented colours for £4 which is a pretty  good bargain. Its has been so useful to do a variety of quick everyday looks when I am running  late for college, so pretty much everyday!

Mac Creme Cup:

Creme Cup was my first ever Mac lipstick. It is a cremesheen finish so the texture is very creamy and glossy, as the name suggests.The colour is a wearable light pink that I find very flattering on my complexion (ghostly pale with blue eyes and dirty blond hair). For me, its the perfect pink every day lipstick.

Essie Orange It's Obvious:

For my birthday a friend gave me this as part of a present. It's a gorgeous vibrant orange shade that is apparently a dupe for the Chanel Holiday nail varnish. You know when you love the colour of your nails so much you can't help but keep admiring them? Well for me this is one of those colours. Although I find Essie polishes chip quickly for me the colour is so worth it.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups:

These have to be my ultimate weakness! Which is why I ate them before I had chance to take a photo, sorry! When I went to America last year I ate a ridiculous amount of them and since then I have become slightly addicted. They are so sweet and peanut buttery it is hard to resist and I have weak will power. At the moment they are half price in Sainsburys and you can bet that I'm making the most of it!

Music:

Music wise I've been listening to Conor Maynard's latest song Turn Around a lot for the past few weeks. I got the chance to see him perform a few songs live not long a go and since then I've discovered how good his voice is. His acoustic covers on youtube are amazing! Plus he seems like a nice lad and not too bad on the eye ey!

Thanks for reading x

NOTW: Sephora By OPI - Go My Own Way

Hello!
So today I thought I'd show you my nail varnish of choice. When I decided to paint my nails it was grey and rainy, as usual, so I picked out a  dark wintry shade. Go My Own Way seemed good enough and even though I got this a year ago when I was in America it is the first time I've used it. As you can see it is a metallic dark blue shade with a gorgeous subtle shimmer. What I love about it is it looks a different colour in every light. It definitely needs two coats to get a good colour. Unfortunately the application is pretty streaky but it isn't too noticeable. 

I know they're a bit messy but life is too short to worry about having perfect nails!

Thanks for reading x