Blogmas Day 2: Birthday Haul Part 2

It is only 2nd December and I am already feeling so christmassy so before I head out and get quite a bit of Christmas shopping done I thought I would share with you the rest of my birthday presents so without rambling too much lets get into it,

Fragrance wise I did very well this year getting 2 lovely smelly bits. Firstly from one of my friends I got the Victoria Secrets Secret Escape Fragrance Mist in Sheer Freesia and Guava Flowers. The bottle of this is absoloutely gorgeous and I was so excited to get this because I have never had a Victoria Secret's fragrance before. The smell of this is lovely and floral without being overpoweringly flowery but is also nice and fresh. I have been tending to wear this on a daily basis and makes a nice change from some of the more woody deep fragrances I have.

Next up is a very exciting present and one that I had been wanting ever since it was released back in September, Jo Malone Cologne in Wood Sage and Sea Salt. Now if you haven't smelt this before please just stop what you are doing and go smell it now. It is honestly one of the nicest smelling things I have ever smelt. It is quite a masculine scent which I don't normally like but this is just fab. I think the candle version of this would be amazing as well so I think that may be going on my Christmas list!

Staying on nice smelling things my Brother got me a lovely Lush gift set featuring 2 of their bath bombs. Poptastic! features Cinders Bath Bomb and Shoot for the Stars Bath Bomb. Neither of these I have ever tried before but are both once's I have had a good smell of in store! I love baths and especially at this time of year so I can't wait to try these out very very soon!

Last up was another very exciting present from my housemates and perfect for this time of year, the Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm. This is a pretty cult beauty product and I have read so many reviews about it and thought it sounded amazing. And I have to admit the hype is so right, this is awesome! I make sure I use this every morning and every night as well as topping it up throughout the day and already I can notice a difference in how my lips look. My lips normally get very chapped and disgusting around this time of year but since I have been using this they have been so lovely and soft. Some people might think this is quite a price tag for a lip balm but is 1000% worth it and I also think this would make a perfect stocking filler for any beauty loving girl. 

WOW! So that is all for my birthday haul, I did get some other bits but I thought I would only share my beauty related present. My main present from my Mum and Dad was a spa weekend break later on in December so after that I will be reviewing the whole experience so keep an eye out for that! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Blogmas Day 1: 21st Birthday Haul Part 1

Well writing a blog post again feels weird! It has been a long long absence but I am actually really excited to try get back on it. So to kick off getting back into blogging I thought I would start with one of my favourite posts to read and write, a haul. Now this isn't you average haul it is my birthday haul! A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my 21st birthday and had such a fab weekend. If any of my friends or family are reading this I just want to say a massive thank you for making it so special, especially my housemates who made my actual birthday so fun and special! Now before I start crying all over my laptop lets get into what I got!

First up from my Auntie and Uncle I got the Real Techniques Nics Picks Make Up Brush Set. Can we just all appreciated how nice the silver holographic colour looks on these brushes, makes such a nice change from the usual orange/purple.This is a limited edition brush collection set that features 2 already existing brushes, the Duo Fibre Face Brush and the Base Shadow brush as well as 3 exclusive brushes just for this set. The exclusive brushes are the Cheek Brush, Angled Shadow Brush and Eyeliner Brush. I have already had a play around with all these brushes and I love them all! Real Technique brushes are some of the best brushes out there and these are the same standard as all the other brushes in their collection. My favourite at the moment is the duo fibre face brush, which I have been using to apply bronzer, simply because it is so so soft! I am so so happy with this set and can't recommend it enough. Remember it is limited edition so make sure you snap it  up quick! 

Staying on the brush front my lovely friends also got me a MAC 217 Brush! I have somehow never owned this brush before! I think this brush has to be the MOST talked about brush in the blogging community and now I finally have my paws on this I can tell why. This brush is completely changing my eyeshadow game, it blends even the worst eyeshadow out perfectly and is so soft I could rub it all over my face all day. This does have quite a hefty price tag on it but as Christmas is approaching I would definitely put this on your wish list because it is a must have!

Staying on the MAC theme I also got the Objections of Affection Pink and Rose Pigment and Glitter Collection. This little set features 5 glitters and pigments all with a pink tone to them. Each one is so gorgeous and just gives any eye look a little something special. I am still loving my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette and I think these would look fab when I am doing eye looks with that! This is again a limited edition set for Christmas and I think would make a perfect gift so if you are interested in getting this make sure you get it quick because I think they are already selling out online.

Now onto my favourite subject, lipstick. This birthday I did very well lipstick wise getting 2 lipsticks and both from Topshop. First up is Macaroon. This is a lovely light pink colour which is the perfect your lips but better colour! I have been wearing this loads since my  birthday as it is so easy to use and just leaves your lips looking gorgeous! Now onto the other end of the lipstick spectrum with Hazard, this is a beautiful dark red colour. I actually owned this colour once before but managed to lose it after wearing it only once so I was so happy to get it again. This colour will be perfect for this time of year and I can see myself wearing this a hell of a lot during the Christmas party season!

So I have by far left the best to last and I am not actually sure if I am going to have the words to talk about this but here goes. So my best friends bought me one of the best presents a make up junkie could ask for, Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita. Yeah I said it, a bloody Charlotte Tilbury Palette!!! I think this must have been on my beauty wishlist for a year or so now and I am so so happy to finally have it! I literally had to stop several times when I was opening this because I was crying with happiness so much, (my mum could not understand this at all, but it was an emotional time!). I have only used this once so far but it is honestly stunning. All the colours are so creamy and just blend out perfectly (especially when I use my 217) and the glitter is so pigmented. Basically I love it!

OK so that is it so far for part 1! I will be posting another birthday haul tomorrow so make sure you come back for that so you can see all the other beauty bits I was lucky enough to get! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Blogmas: I am attempting to do blogmas this December which means I shall be posting a blog post every single day the whole way through December! 

Why Am I Obsessed With A 15 Year Old Murder?

That is the question I have been asking myself for a long long week. Last Thursday my boyfriend coerced me into sitting down and listening to a podcast. Now I am going to let it be known right now that I find podcasts utterly mind numbingly boring, without sounding completely moronic, where are the pictures? This Thursday podcast was called Serial, the boyfriend enticed me with promises of a dodgy murder conviction, something that I would become completely fixated on. I had my doubts. I am in no way going to claim to have ‘discovered’ this ever growing podcast, I very much jumped on the bandwagon. But what an interesting bandwagon it is.

Serial basically is following the story of Adnan Syed, a now 33 year old man that 15 years ago was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. This convinction occurred simply because of one man, maybe I should say boys, testimony. Jay. No DNA evidence, no other witnesses, just this one kids story. Jay is the person that I think about the most, who would trust the words of a young pot dealer?  The first episode had me mildly gripped, I like a good murder mystery and to me that is what this was. But now after listening to 7 episodes this is so much more. 

I need and I literally mean need to know if Adnan Syed killed her. Throughout this podcast, which is wonderfully done Sarah Koenig, you hear many phone conversions that her and Adnan have had. They are wonderfully gripping. My first instinct was this guy doesn’t sound like a killer, surely he didn’t do it? I know, I know, what does a killer sound like? I guess I was expecting something more menacing and inherently evil about him but that is not what I got. He genuinely sounds like a nice guy. As a type this I know how stupid I sound, and Sarah does to, she often says exactly what I am thinking.

I honestly don’t know if Adnan is guilty and I don’t know if I ever will, which I am not sure I am ok with. All I know is that this podcast has overwhelmed my life. Without being too overdramatic I have spent nearly all my waking time googling this case. I have never been on Reddit in my life, until yesterday (what a blackhole that place is!). I have read hundreds, if not thousands of posts and comments about this case and I am still no closer to reaching a decision in my head. This podcast has literally gripped me like nothing ever has and my beauty blog probably isn’t the right arena for this post but this is my little tiny section of the internet and I am going to post whatever I want to talk about here.

If you haven’t listened to this podcast yet I really strongly urge you to. It is thought provoking, entertaining and above all obsessive. I don’t know what the purpose of this post was, it isn’t to promote the show but simply to put exactly what I am thinking somewhere other than whishing around my brain. 

Why Have I Never Bought This??

Whilst out shopping this week I paid my usual visit to MAC to have a little browse and also to check out the new Simpsons Collection (I am yet to make a purchase from this line). Whilst swatching away at some eye shadows I stumbled across this little beauty, a well blogged about eye shadow but one that I had never given a proper look at, All That Glitters.

I don't think I have ever quite loved an eye shadow as much as I love this one! The colour is the most perfect golden shimmery prettiness. It is a perfect all over lid colour but I have also used it blended into the crease for a subtle golden smokey eye. The texture of all MAC shadows are really good, and this is the same. The almost creaminess of it makes it super easy to blend and just looks awesome!

I can't believe it has taken me this long to buy this thing! What was I thinking? Have you guys tried this? and do you love it like me? I don't think there is much else to say about this little pot of beautifulness except go buy it! I will be back on Friday with a look at my nails of the week. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

A Little Late August Favourites

As usual I am a little unorganised so this post is a week or so late but alas we are here and these are my favourite products from August (and also maybe July because I can't remember if I did a July favourites!!) 

First up is a very recent purchase because I literally only bought it at the very end of August and it is this Primark Cleansing Sponge Thing (I unforunately don't know the proper name!). On my latest trip into Primark I noticed that the beauty section had had a massive expansion and there was loads of fun new stuff there that I was very eager to try out. I picked up a gel eye mask and also a grater for my disgusting feet, sorry for the TMI, but this was the most exciting thing I picked up. This is basically a little rubber disk with tiny little rubber bristles on. I have been using this every single morning and night with my cleanser and I love it! My skin has been a little problematic recently but I really feel like this is helping it get back to its good old self, and for only £1.50 it is such a bargain!

Now my second favourite is actually a purchase from way back last year but one I seem to have rediscovered recently. My skin was been on the oilier side recently so I have been desperately rummaging in my foundation drawer for an oil free foundation and this one has really stepped up to the job. The Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Foundation isn't one that is talked about a lot and is often outshined by its concealer friend but I think it really deserves its time in the limelight! This stuff stays on your skin for ages and provides really good coverage but without feeling super heavy on your skin. This foundation doesn't have any amazing colour range and the one I have is little too dark to for me but mixed in with a little bit of a light colour and it is spot on!!

Hold up everyone I have another eyeliner in my monthly favourites, what the hell is happening!! This Lord and Berry SMUDGEPROOF Waterproof Eye Liner in #719 Smoke* was very kindly sent to me but I have to admit at first I wasn't that excited! I am not a massive eyeliner girl but this ones seems to have helped converted me! Firstly I think the colour is really beautiful and is a really nice change from black or brown. I mostly smoke this out and use it under my bottom lashes but recently I have been using it on my eyelids when I'm doing a smokey eye for a little added depth. This is the first thing I have tried from Lord and Berry but if the rest of their stuff is as good as this I will definitely be giving some more of their stuff a go. 

Last up is a product that I never actually thought I would love. When MAC release their limited edition collections I can't help myself and I end up buying almost everything from the collection and that is why this MAC Kelly Osbourne Powder Blusher in Cheeky Bugger  was purchased. Don't get me wrong I never hated this product but I just thought it was something that would never wow me but wow was I wrong! This is actually just the most perfect blusher, the subtle pink colour really works with my complexion and just compliments my bronzer and highlighter really nicely. Most days I have found myself leaning for this and I can't see that changing. 

I feel like I have been typing for ages, my little fingers are exhausted!! But there you have it all my favourites from the last month. What have you been loving this month? I will be back on Wednesday for a look at a cheeky new MAC purchase, make sure to follow me on Bloglovin so you don't miss that post. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading, 

Laura xxx

Lord and Berry Eyeliner* - http://www.hqhair.com/lord-berry-smudgeproof-eye-pencil-various-colours/10661203.html?autocomplete=productsuggestion

Collection Foundation- http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Ultimate-Wear-Foundation-SPF-20_1436025/

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain Review

I am a massive fan of the glossy lip so when I heard about this new release from Revlon I could hardly contain my excitement and like any good blogger I went straight to Boots and picked up a couple of shades to play around with. 

The colour selection is absoloutely fabulous but I am having a love affair with a pink lip so I was immediately drawn to 2 pretty pink colours, Rio Rush and Barcelona Nights. Both are super bright and highly pigmented leaving a great pop of colour on your lips. I think I slightly prefer the lighter pink colour, Rio Rush but that is just me, both are awesome colours. 

My intial worry about these was that like the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers they would be quite hard to apply but actually they are so easy to apply! The amount of product the doe foot applicator holds is just perfect and the slightly angled brush makes it easy to apply to both your top and bottom lips. The wear on these seems to be pretty good, on a recent night out I only found I had to reapply this a couple of times, which I think is fab considering I was drinking a lot. 

Overall I am definitely a fan of this new Revlon launch, I am really pleased with the colours I picked up but as we head into autumn I will definitely be going back into Boots to pick up some darker colours! Have you guys tried these? Got any colour recommendations? I will be back on Monday with a little look at my recent beauty favourites. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading,

Laura xxx

Rimmel Wonder'Full Argan Oil Mascara Review

For ages my spending ban was going pretty good but now I am completely off the bandwagon, and I am going to be honest, it feels great! Couple of weeks ago I went so crazy in Boots and ended up picking out loads of new releases. Out of all of the ones I have been testing out I think this may be my favourite. 

I really like the packaging of this, I think it looks super sleek and more expensive than the £6 I paid. The tube itself is quite big so I reckon there is a pretty good amount of product in there. The wand itself is pretty big as well which is a big plus for me. 

The mascara claims to be 'Clump Free and Defining'. I would say this statement is pretty accurate. This leaves my lashes looking really nice and separated without a clump in sight! I have tried using this on my bottom lashes but the brush is just too big and doesn't leave my bottom lashes with the desired effect, which was a little disappointing but I rarely ever use anything other than my Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara for them anyway.

Now already I think this is a pretty good drugstore mascara, rivalling my favourite, the Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara. But this mascara is special, it has Argan Oil in it. Everyone is obsessed with this oil at the moment and I can tell why. I have to admit I was quite dubious about whether this having Argan Oil in would actually do anything for my lashes, but I would argue it does. This feels much more lightweight than standard mascaras and also seems to be making my lashes grow quicker!

So overall I am loving this mascara, and can you really blame me, it is fab! I have been quite absent from my blog over the last couple of weeks but I am back on it now so make sure you follow me on Bloglovin so you don't miss any of my posts! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading, 

Laura xxx