Manchester Bloggers Meet Up

Yesterday some Northen bloggers went to a meet up at Harvey Nichols in Manchester. It was an evening of sophistication! We were greeted with drinks and a goody bag to make us feel the part. All the counters had little things running so I tried out lots of different products. My Christmas list has grown a lot, I blame Benefit. There were some talks from Bobbi Brown and Creme De La Mer which were really interesting because we found out more about the brands background and ethics. Also I ate my first ever macaroon which was a momentous occasion I'm sure every one will agree. 

The best bit was meeting all the lovely people. It was so good to meet lots of other bloggers to chat to. Sometimes its easy to forget internet folk are real people! I was particularly happy to meet Joanna from mintyessence.com as I've been reading her blog for a little while now.  A few of us went to Pizza Hut afterwards and I have to say I know feel much more educated on politics thanks to Charlotte!

Annoyingly I didn't take many photos though. Bad blogger!

Alice is so regal

All the make up was so tempting!

Ignore the curtains and the terrified expression! Charlotte, Sam, Demi, Joanna and Nafisha.

Thank you so much to Katie for organising it and Harvery Nichs for having us. It was a fantastic evening all round.

Thanks for reading!x

Spexy Giveaway!

I'm excited to tell you that Firmoo, an online glasses company, recently contacted me to offer 25 lucky readers a $20 voucher. That means you could get a pair of prescription, fashion or sun glasses for free or treat yourself to something pricey with the discount code! If you want to read a review I did of some Firmoo sunglasses then you can click here.

The vouchers are valid until Christmas day so I will be giving out the vouchers until then. It is an international give away.

All you have to do to enter is be a follower of my blog and email me at megancarpenter@hotmail.co.uk . I will give the first 25 people the $20 voucher!In the mean time you can browse threw to select the glasses you want on firmoo.com

Thanks for reading! x

♡Haul- Superdrug, Boots, TK Max & Blog Sales♡

At the moment I am saving up for AA riding pants so I shouldn't really be doing a haul! Nothing broke the bank at least. In fact most of these were a pretty good bargains and boy am I a sucker for a bargain. Anyway on with the haul!

Revlon Lip Butter £1, Mac Full Speed Sheen Supreme Lipstick £2, Illamasqua Blaze Lipstick £5,
Laura Mercier Camilla Lip Glace £4, Bare Esecentuals Precision Brush £1.40 

You may recognise these from my past post Bargain Of The Week #3. Everything is from blog sales! My favourite of the lot is the illamasqua lipstick because I would never have picked it for myself but it looks gorgeous on. The Laura Mercier lipgloss  is amazing colour, texture and lasts for a good few hours, perfect! I've been getting good use from the brush as the tapered end is perfect for bring eyeshadow below the lash line. I'll admit I haven't had a chance to try out the lip butter or Mac lipstick yet but I love the Mac lipstick as again I wouldn't have picked it out. It's so easy to get stuck in a comfort zone.

Jemma Kid Rose Palette £4.99

I picked up this Jemma Kidd palette from TK Max a couple of weeks ago so I'm not sure if there will be any left. It did come with a lipstick but I sold that in my blog sale as the colour wasn't for me. The eyeshadows and blush have a gorgeous creamy texture and blend so well. The colours are all wearable and flattering for my pale skin. I love it!

Sleek Au Natural Palette £7.99

Another palette I picked up the other day. Going to College so close to Boots and Superdrug is dangerous for a beauty addict! I've heard so much about this and sleek in general so it was time to give it a go. The colours are quite dark so I'm looking forward to seeing what looks I can create.

Lee Stafford As Ruff As You Like £5

Finally I caved in and spent some of my boots points. I recently got my hair cut into a very short bob so I wanted a wax product that would give it some texture to avoid the bowl cut look. It isn't sticky but it gives texture that lasts all day. So far I love it!

Have you tried any of these products?

Thanks for reading!x

Bargain Of The Fortnight #3

From the picture you may be a bit confused about how these high end products can be a bargain. Well I bought them all from blog sales! Just look at the amazing saving I made.

Mac Full Speed Sheen Supreme Lipstick - £2 (Originally £14.50)

Revlon Peach Parfait Lip Butter-£1 (Originally £7.99)

Bare Escentuals Precision Brush-£1.40 (Originally £24.00)

Illamasqua Blaze Lipstick-£5 (Originally £16.00)

Laura Mercier Camellia Lip Glace-£4 (Originally £18.50)
Click here to see swatches 

As you can see I made huge savings. Admittedly its not like I would have bought any of these in the shops but I definitely would have lusted over them. All the products have plenty left and I know I will get good use out of them. Blog sales are full of bargains and are a great way to try out high end make up if you're on a budget. This is the first time I've tried Illamasqua and Laura Mercier and I absolutely love them!

Of course I can't resist the chance to throw in a plug for my blog sale which you can click here to have a nosey at.

Have you bought anything from a blog sale? Are you having your own?

Thanks for reading!x

Firmoo Sunglasses Review

 I have to admit I had never even heard of Firmoo glasses before but after a bit of research I discovered they are a big online glasses shop. Currently Firmoo have free (!!!) glasses and sunglasses available. I was sent the glasses free of charge to review them but all views are completely honest. I could never lie to you!

The sunglasses arrived about 10 days after order which is pretty good considering they came all the way from China! I know that my order was rushed for the purpose of this review so there is a possibility that it could take longer for other customers. I'm not a fan of the cheap plastic case it came in but the glasses sleeve looks and feels more expensive. I'd have no shame in wiping it out my bag.

 The actual sunglasses are lovely. They cost $40 normally but are pair from the free glasses range for new customers. The colour is gorgeous and the anchor style detail really finishes the over all look.  I was impressed that you have to fill in the distance between your pupils to ensure correct fit. As with buying anything online there is the risk of it not suiting you but to help this you can virtually try on the glasses by uploading a picture onto the site. However I found in real life they looked extremely different on. The sunglasses are reasonably comfortable to wear although I'll have to wait for a holiday to be able to get proper use out of them!

At the moment Firmoo have a range of glasses that you can get for free including prescription glasses and sunglasses.All you have to pay for is the postage and packaging. This is great value considering the glasses normally cost up to $40. Christmas is quickly approaching so a pair of prescription glasses or sunglasses would make a great present. Click here to check out the range of free glasses available or click here for the firmoo home page to find out more.

Have you tried Firmoo glasses before? What do you think?

Thanks for reading!x

Please May I Have #1

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FOTN: Prize Giving

My first face of the night! Well it was evening really but you can pretend. I'm rubbish at taking pictures of myself so I've used one that a friend took instead hence the slightly mad looking friend in the background and odd facial expression.

Last night was prize giving at my old high school so I went to collect GCSE certificates. It's so weird going back now I've left! We had to walk across the stage to collect our envelopes but somehow I managed not to fall which is always a bonus.

So here is the slap I put on my face. It was only a smart casual dress code so I didn't go to over the top.

Face: Estee Lauder Double Wear in Ivory, Collection 200 concealer, Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, NYX Taupe blush, Sephora Orange Punchy Sun Baked Blush, Mac  Pearl Cream Highlight

Eyes: MUA Heaven And Earth Palette,Maybelline The Falsies Flared Mascara,Urban Decay Ink For Eyes in Zero, Rimmel Khol liner,MUA Blond Brow Pencil

Lips: Rimmel Red Diva Exaggerate Lip Liner, Mac Russian Red

Nails: Filthy Gorgeous - Beebe

Thanks for reading!x

Current Skin Care Routine

I've been deliberating over whether or not to do this for a while now, but I decided to bite the bullet and do it. I'm not particularly interested in skincare nor is my skin perfect but I do have a regular routine consisting completely of high street products. My skin is normal/dry.

Daytime

Good Things Face Wash-
The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is was my face with this creamy cleanser. It lathers well and has a strong fruity smell which may not be to everyone's taste. Personally I really like this but I cant tell if this has caused an improvement for my skin or its just the time of the month.

Nivea Daily Essentials Rich Moisturising Day Cream-
A fantastic rich day cream. It sinks in quickly and deeply moisturisers the skin. It does have a slightly floral scent which I'm not keen on. The worst thing about this is if I don't wear make up on top it makes my face look so oily and greasy. Not good!
As you might be able to tell from the picture I have just come to the end of it so I have bought the primer version but I didn't want to show a product I haven't had a chance to properly try out yet.

Boots Vitamin E Eye Cream-
If you want to know more about eye creams you can click here to read a whole post explaining them. This one has a thin consistency. It isn't fantastic, I much prefer the Balance Me sample of eye cream, but for £2.54 it's a great money saver.

Soap And Glory Scrub Of Your Life Exfoliator-
I exfoliate at least twice a week to clear the pores of dirt and dead skin. It makes a big difference the next day as skin looks brighter and it helps breakouts as well as giving smoother skin. Before this I had the Scrub Your Nose In It exfoloiator which did a better job at exfoliating and brightening the skin.

Good Things Facial Mask-
I love the Lush Brazened Honey Mask but the short shelf time created too much waste. So instead I got this mask which I actually have only used a couple of times. It doesn't give amazing results but my skin is softer and brighter afterwards.

Night Time

Simple Cleansing Lotion-
I have tried a few different cleansing lotions but I always come back to this. It removes make up whilst feeling creamy and luxurious despite the fact its so cheap! Because it is fragrance free it is fantastic for sensitive skin.

Garnier Wipes-
I prefer to use wipes to take eye make up off because it is much easier. These are okay but to be honest I just get whatever is on offer because they all seem the same to me.

Simple Moisturising Face Wash-
Again this is good for dry sensitive skin. I wish it lathered up a bit more but other than that its a nice face wash. Nothing too special about it!

Simple Vital Vitamin Night Cream-
Another Simple product! I love the brand because I have sensitive skin and a small skin care budget. It is a very rich cream so I only use it on the dry-est areas of my face which are around the nostrils, jawbone and along the eyebrows. When I did use it on my face it broke me out. I will test using it out on my whole face again but if it does cause a break out I'll have to replace it for winter.

Lush Grease Lighting-
I only use it at night because sometimes it can cause a tiny bit of flaky skin. To read a full review you can click here.

So that is my skin care routine! Its nothing special but I thought I'd share it with you anyway. If you have a post on you're skin care routine link it below as I always enjoy seeing what other people use. What is your holy grail skin care product?

Thanks for reading!x

Bargain Of The Fortnight #2

On the cheeks with no highlight

This fortnights bargain is the MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blush in Bitter Sweet which I featured in  a recent haul that you can click here to read.
Since buying it I have used it every single day which shows how much I like it. I apply it to the cheeks using the real techniques stippling brush. It gives a gorgeous pink glow to the cheeks as you can see in the picture to the left. Used lightly it can look natural but the colour is build able. I've been using it as a base for the Bobbi Brown Pink Sugar blush to make the colour more vibrant as well as making it last all day. For £2 I really cannot fault it. If you haven't got your hands on one of these yet then grab one soon. I will definitely be picking up more colours!

Have you tried it yet? Had any good bargains recently?

Thanks for reading!x

Eye Creams Explained

Until recently I never used an eye cream  I hadn't really understood the purpose of eye creams as I had associated them with an older ladies product to help with wrinkles. It wasn't until I went to Bobbi Brown to try out the corrector that the make up artist explained the importance of eye creams. If you already use and know about eye creams then this post may not be for you but if, like I was, you're a bit clueless then keep reading.
An eye cream should be used every morning with your moisturiser. It makes the area feel softer and more plump. If you don't use one then the skin 'sucks' up the moisturiser from the concealer you use causing it to crack and appear dry and flaky. Using an eye cream prevents this from happening and also keeps the delicate skin hydrated in the cold winter months to come. Some eye creams can claim to brighten the appearance of your eyes however from reviews and personal experience they don't always work. The prices can vary from £2 from boots ( like mine) or £35 from Origin. I find the the boots own one I use does the job well considering the price is so low. If you're not already using an eye cream I recommended you try one and you should see the benefits straight away.

Do you use an eye cream? What's your favourite?

Thanks for reading!x

Leibster Blog Award

On one of my last posts I was 'nominated' for the Leibster blog award by Hayley from http://lastyearsheroxo.blogspot.co.uk and Erinn from http://discountbeauty101.blogspot.com . Thanks to both of them! If you don't know the Leibster award is an award for bloggers with under 200 followers that other bloggers nominate them for. It works sort of an award chain mail.

So, here is the Leibster award, and how it works!
- Each person must post 11 things about themselves
- Answer the questions the nominator made for you and also create 11 more questions for the blogs you nominate
- Choose 11 people and link them to your post
- Go to their page and tell them.
- No tag backs

So first of all I'll answer Erinn's questions:

1. Why did you start blogging?
I'd be interested in make up for ages but I didn't really have anyone to chat about vain things to. Another reason is too meet lots of new people with similar interest which I have done so far. I would have started youtube but to be honest I was way to scared for that & I doubt I'd much good at it.

2. What is your fall/winter favourite accessory?
A huge warm snuggly scarf. I get cold so easily so I have to be practical.

3. What is your favourite Starbucks drink?
Caramel Coffee Frappicino in the summer. Its so sweet! I don't get hot drinks from there because in my opinion they aren't great but I love Costa ginger bread lattes.

4. What is your favourite candle scent?
Anything vanilla. I have 3 different types of vanilla yankee candles on the go at the moment. You can click here to read about one of them.

5. What is your favourite kind of flowers to receive?
I've never received flowers so clearly I am unloved! 

6. Do you have any pets? If so what kind?
A cocker spaniel dog. She farts a lot.

7. What is your must have beauty product?
Concealer! I cant go out with at least concealer on.

8. What is your favourite food?
I love too much food to name it all

9. Do you prefer drugstore or high end skincare products?
I've never tried high end skincare products before

10. What is your dream job?
Something that isn't in an office & involves some travel so every day is different

11. What is your favourite holiday?
I went to Thailand this year which was incredible but going to Texas to visit family on my 16th birthday was unbeatable.  

Next Erinn's questions:

1.What is your must-have item of make-up?
Concealer. I cant go out without it!

2.Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?I have no idea

3.What's your favourite food? Sushi, Mexican, etc..?Chinese. It's a classic.

4.What made you start blogging?I answered this one above

5.When you walk into a make-up store, what's the first stall you find yourself going towards?The lipsticks, they are always displayed so pretty

6.Name your three favourite blogs. Essie Button
Lip So Facto
Beckawoo
7.What's your favourite season?Autumn by far. English summers are too disappointing and I get cold so easily in winter.
8.If you could choose anywhere in the world, where would you live?I really want to live in London one day.

9.How independent do you think you are? Fairly. I can cook basic food, do washing & I get public transport all the time

10.If you were an animal, what would you be and why?A goat because I frickin' love goats.

11.What's on your Christmas list this year?Alien perfume.

I nominate:

http://andthislittlepiggybeauty.blogspot.co.uk/

http://anillla.blogspot.co.uk/

http://hiyaitslaura.blogspot.co.uk/

http://beckawoo.blogspot.co.uk/

http://lifeinlipstick.blogspot.co.uk/2012_10_01_archive.html

http://mammafulzo.blogspot.co.uk/

http://gottobebella.blogspot.co.uk/

And my question for them are:

1. Why did you start blogging?
2. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?
3. If you could only have five make up products what would they be?
4. What is your favourite way to pass a spare hour?
5. On average how long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
6. When you're out shopping what is your weakness?
7. What is your favourite make up brand?
8. What has been your best holiday ever?
9. What is your favourite tv programme?
10. Do you want/have any pets?
11. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

So this has been a really long post today, sorry about that! 
Thanks for reading x