October 2014 Favourites

October hasn't really felt like October, maybe because the weather is still mild enough for me to head out in a dress without tights, but I'm definitely ready for a cold snap now. It's been a really busy month with Uni work, I've barely left my desk, so because of that there are only a few products here that I felt were worth a mention! I really wanted to film this but busy uni days, an impromptu house guest, a lack of good light and my boyfriends penchant for constantly running the washing machine meant there just wasn't time. There will definitely be a video next week though!

Moving on to the favourites, There's one skincare product that deserves a mention here, and that's the A Derma Nutrialba Rich Nourishing Cream*. Back at the beginning of the month I had a nasty cold, and since then my skin has been really dry, particularly around my nose (the price of a week of constant nose-blowing). I needed something a little more heavy duty than the evening moisturiser I had been using, and I ended up reaching for this. When I was first sent it, it was the middle of summer and it was too heavy for my skin, but now that my skin needs an extra boost of hydration it's perfect. It's thick and creamy, but doesn't leave an oily residue, and I like that it's fragrance free too.

On the makeup front, I've been using my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation again, I always come back to this product, it just gives the skin a real flawless, perfected finish, and it doesn't feel heavy on the skin. I've also fallen back in love with using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush for foundation, it just makes applying foundation fast and easy, no streaks and no patches, just a damn near perfect base.

It will come as no surprise to see the Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics nestled in here, and really this is the star of the show for me. I've used this every single day this month and I absolutely adore it. Despite only containing six shadows, the palette is incredibly versatile, and I've loved playing with it. I genuinely think this could be my favourite Urban Decay palette yet, and that really is a bold statement. I use and love every single shade, and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it.

On my cheeks this month I've fallen back in love with my Gosh Natural Blush in Electric Pink, a product I've been using since I was about thirteen. This was (not this exact one, but this shade) the first blush I ever bought, and to date it's the only blush I've ever used up. It's just a beautiful dusky pink shade that blends nicely and wears well throughout the day. A definite blush wardrobe staple.

And lastly a shout out to the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, totally adorable miniature Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked, which might just be my perfect nude lipstick. The formula of these lipsticks is probably my favourite out there, they're pigmented, not glossy but not matte, incredibly long lasting and smooth & comfortable to wear. A real winner if you ask me!

And that's everything! What have you been loving this month?

What's On My Face: The High Street Edition

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, so I'm back this time with a face full of high street gems to share with you.

First off, I've been back on the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum bandwagon recently. Since I can't even contemplate rocking a Bourjois foundation sans-tan, I'm making the most of it whilst I still have a smidgen of summer tan left. This foundation has a gorgeous formula, so smooth and easy to apply, good coverage and it really smooths the appearance of the skin, and gives an airbrushed finish. I then took a little of the Maybelline The Eraser Concealer under the eyes, down the bridge of my nose, and anywhere I had any redness. I love this concealer, it really covers well but doesn't look heavy or cakey at all. I set my foundation with the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot powder, to get rid of any shine, I find that a bold lip looks best without a dewy finish foundation!

I kept cheeks simple because I was opting for a bolder lip colour, and just took a little of the Gosh Natural Electric Pink Blush on the apples of my cheeks, and the Milani Illuminating Face Powder along the tops of my cheekbones. The blush, despite being called Electric Pink, gives a soft dusky pink pop of colour to my cheeks, it looks super natural, and the Milani powder really helps put the glow in my skin.

Eyes again were a simple affair, I took the Wet and Wild eyeshadow in Brulee all over the lid and up to the browbone, before smudging the L'Oreal Super Liner Mat-Matic in Ultra Black along my upper and lower lashline, as well as on my upper waterline. As an afterthought, I added some of the Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Liner Pencil to my lower waterline, as it was looking a little red. Finish with lashings of the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara, which isn't my favourite but does the job, and filling in my brows with the Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil.

And finally the star of the show, the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107, a bold berry pink. I'm normally terrified of shades like this but I'm trying to branch out and be a little more experimental. Let me know what you think of the colour!

What are you loving from the high street right now?

The Review: Beauty Blender vs Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Thanks to my wonderful friend Daphne I recently became the proud owner of a Beauty Blender. I've been using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge for a while now, so I thought I'd chat to you about both, and whether you really need to fork out for the Beauty Blender.

In terms of shape and size, they're pretty similar in size, when totally damp the Beauty Blender is a fraction larger, but it makes little difference. Both have a big round bottom (hehe), and a tapered end. I must say I slightly prefer the tapered end of the Miracle Complexion sponge, it's completely flat which I really like for blending concealer out under the eyes.

I should probably mention that I'm not a massive fan of using these sponges to apply my foundation. Personally I find it way too time consuming, although the finish is great from both of these when you do take the time to do it. There weren't really any noticeable differences in the finish of my foundation when I applied it with these two, but the beauty blender was slightly quicker. Only slightly, and that's probably just because of the two this one is slightly bigger.

It's worth noting that neither of these wash very well, in the above picture they're freshly washed and as you can see, they're a little stained. They both wash best using the Solid Beauty Blender Cleanser, I've never gotten very far with the likes of Dr Bronners or Johnsons with these.

The main difference between these two sponges is the texture. The beauty blender sponge is much more porous, and because of that I find it does absorb a little more product, giving a sheerer finish. Whereas the Miracle Complexion sponge is much denser, giving a fuller coverage finish, and that is the really what it comes down to with these two products. If you're debating between the two, I'd make the decision based on whether you prefer a fuller coverage or something a little sheerer. Both give a very natural finish, but the beauty blender is definitely a little lighter.

It's also worth considering the price, the beauty blender is nearly three times the price of the Real Techniques sponge, and really the quality and performance of the product don't reflect that at all. In all honesty if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be the Real Techniques offering. It's got a good price tag, it gives good coverage, and I really love the flat part for concealer.

Do you have a preference?

Autumn Blush Line Up

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500.0"] Left to Right: Revlon Powder Blush in Mauvelous, Wet and Wild Blush in Pearlescent Pink, Gosh Natural Blush in Electric Pink, Benefit Hervana, MAC Ripe for Love, Smashbox Cream Cheek Colour in Captivate, Benefit Rockateur.[/caption]

Whilst spring and summer call for perky pinks and shimmering peaches, the blushes I opt for in the autumn winter are a lot more subdued. I like to ramp up the drama with a bold lip or smokey eye during the colder months, so a more subtle blush shade is more my thing.

There are hree budget options that I keep coming back to, the first is Revlon's powder blush in Mauvelous, a matte pink with purpley undertones that looks very simple swatched, but super pretty on the cheeks. It's not the best formula, but with a dense natural bristle brush you can make it work, and it's surprisingly long lasting.

A slightly bolder option that runs slightly more pink, Wet and Wild's Colour Icon blush in Pearlescent Pink.  The only one of the bunch with a shimmer, since I tend to favour matte blushes and a hefty dose of highlighter in the winter, it's got a subtle sheen to it, nothing too OTT, but it does perk up the complexion nicely.

The only blush I've ever used up and repurchased, the Gosh Natural Blush in Electric Pink has been a makeup bag staple for me for years. Don't let the name fool you, it's a perfect dusky rose shade, just gorgeous for autumn. The formula is fantastic, particularly when you consider the price point, and you guys know I'm all about matte blushes right now.

Benefit Hervana definitely falls into the 'barely there' blush category, it's nothing bold but it's the perfect accompaniment to a bold lip or smoky eye. The purple, pink, peach and champagne segments swirl together to give a faint cool toned pink shade, that isn't overpowering on the cheeks, but looks super pretty. I love Benefit blushes, I really think they're worth the money.

I'm not a massive fan of MAC Blushes, but a while back the Ripe For Love Blush stole my heart. This was released as part of the Temperature Rising collection, and I'd describe the shade as a dirty peach, if that makes any sense at all. It's one of those shades that really gives your cheeks a good shape, and you can skip the bronzer with this too. Again this is a matte shade, and the darkness of it is definitely autumn-appropriate.

The only cream blush in today's line up is the Smashbox Cream Cheek Colour in Captivate. Normally, I tend to reserve cream blushes for spring and summer, but this shade is just perfect for the cooler months. It's creamy formula paired with the deep pink shade really gives a natural, wind-bitten flush to the cheeks, and it definitely helps contribute to that traditional 'English Rose' complexion. The formula is a winner, this stays put all day easily, whilst looking just like skin.

And lastly, another offering from Benefit, the tacky-packaged Rockateur Blush. Don't let the tacky packaging and spray of shimmer on the top of the product fool you, this is a beautiful, beautiful product. A barely there dusky rose with tan undertones, this shade is the epitome of sculpted cheeks. Subtle, natural and gorgeous, everyone needs it!

What's in your autumn blush line up?

Budget Beauty #6: The American Edit

For this version of the Budget Beauty roundup, I'm talking picks from across the pond, commonly found in the aisles of CVS and Walgreens. I'm a sucker for American beauty products, and I definitely lugged more than a normal back amount from the states this summer.

First mention, the highly coveted Wet and Wild Comfort Zone Palette, eight buttery smooth, intensely pigmented shadows that come in at under the $5 mark. WHAT IS THIS SORCERY. HOW IS IT SO GOOD YET SO CHEAP. One of life's greatest mystery's there. A very autumnal appropriate shade range too.

Let's talk about how the Milani Illuminating Face Powder is one of the most beautiful things ever shall we? Look at that embossing, it's like magic in a pan. I love this, it's a subtle highlight but because there are rosy and bronzey tones in it it looks incredibly natural on the skin. Glowy good skin in a pan.

Another cheek products, I don't give the Nyx Powder Blush in Peach (so not peach) enough credit around here. It's an easy to work with matte pink shade that really perks up the complexion, whilst being super budget friendly.

I found the Physicians Formula Organic Booster Mascara to be a little lackin' compared to the hype around it, but if you struggle with volume this is a good'un. It's short stubby bristles catch the lashes and separate them, and the formula isn't too wet so your lashes don't clump together. 

The Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in LA Exclusive isn't the best colour for me, but the formula is gorgeous, a creamy, balmy texture, in gorgeous glossy colour but with long lasting staining power. A good handbag staple, and now available in the UK (albeit for a much higher price tag, damn you Boots).

And lastly, the EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruits, once you get past the waxy seal on this it's actually a good lip balm, and it smells fantastic. A good one for the handbag since you don't have to touch the balm, it's a little more hygienic than some!

And that's it for today! What have you been loving from the drugstore recently?

The Sunday Edit: Where Did The Relaxation Go?

Help, I've lost my Sundays!

Sunday used to be my favourite day of the week. Sunday meant leisurely lie ins, getting dressed and heading for all you can eat breakfast at the patisserie shop next door, spending the afternoon reading a good book with a pot of tea, a long, hot bubble bath filled with half the contents of Lush, before retiring to bed early to catch up on new episodes of The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family and New Girl. 

Sunday was my favourite day of the week.

Not anymore.

Thanks to the joys of being a third year uni student, my Sunday's have been stolen by dissertation research & justifying a market for my final major project. 

Lie ins have been replaced with 8am alarms, all you can eat breakfast replaced with lunch at my desk, reading Lena Dunham's latest page turner is now reading past dissertations and books with names like 'Understanding the Role of Feminism in 21st Britain" and "The Female Body and Cultural Assumptions". Instead of bubble baths and early nights with camomile tea, I'm mainlining coffee and staying at my desk until 2am.

It really sucks.

I am however trying to make the most of it. Nipping out to the Starbucks round the corner at 11am to buy giant soy white mochas for the boyfriend and I, and then bringing them back and serving them in Starbucks mugs, because coffee tastes so much better out of a mug. I've also fallen in love with the simplest salad ever (10 cherry tomatoes, half a red onion, about three inches of cucumber, a handful of spinach, all chopped up tiny and mixed up with a teaspoon of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a twist of salt and pepper, deeeeelish), which I've been making in bulk, and keeping in the fridge for each time I get peckish.

Also I have the most kick ass work playlist of Fall Out Boy, Mallory Knox and The Pretty Reckless.

It really is the small things.

Roll on next weekend, where I get to go home for a few days!

5 Things: Pamper Products

I'm a typical girly girl, and I love a good pamper sesh as much as the next one. As the nights are drawing in and the chill in the air is becoming ever more prominent, I'm spending more and more time in the bath, because, any old excuse hey?

I thought I'd show you five of my favourite pamper products right now, because we all deserve to treat ourselves, right?

Lush Brightside Bubble Bar: *sings Mr. Brightside in head* I know, I know, an orange and lemon scented bubble bar is hardly seasonal, but dammit I love this one. When it runs out I'll probably switch out for The Comforter, which is much more autumn appropriate, but for now I'm really enjoying relaxing in a bath filled with citrus infused bubbles.

Neom Refresh Sicilian Lemon and Basil Bath Oil: I'm a total sucker for fresh lemon scents, can you tell? For days when I'm not feeling bubbles I've been reaching for this, an incredibly luxurious oil that not only smells incredibly, it leaves your skin feeling soft and supple too.

Biore Pore Strips: Maybe not quite as glamorous as a face mask (not that face masks are particularly glamorous), but these really help clear out those pesky pores and leave your skin looking tip top.

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter: Anything with the Soap and Glory Original Pink fragrance is a winner in my book. Now that it's getting colder I'm trying to make the effort to moisturise, and this stuff is just gorgeous. Super hydrating, absorbs quickly and smells amazing. What more could you want?

This Works Sleep Balm: A little of this massaged into the temples before cosying up with a cup of tea, stack of magazines and your favourite candle is like heaven. For a stress head like me, this stuff is a god send.

What are your favourite pamper products?

The Best Bases For Bold Lips

I love how a good bold lip can look, but sometimes it's really hard to get the right base. A bold lip can wash you out, highlight uneven skin tones, make under eye bags look more prominent, so a good base is an essential part of the bold lip routine.

I've got two budget options and two luxury options for you, that work perfectly with bold lips.

Starting with the most budget friendly, Rimmel Match Perfection, a good option for everyday since it has a good buildable coverage. This stuff really helps create an even complexion, and it wears pretty evenly throughout the day. It's long lasting and it's pretty easy to work with. You can sheer it out or build it up, so it's a great pick.

My other drugstore go to is the Max Factor Face Finity Foundation, my go to for high coverage at a good price. This stuff covers everything, but can be a little drying. It's fantastically long lasting, it just doesn't disappear, no matter how much you sweat, and it photographs really well. A fantastic option.

For a pricier option, the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation is amazing. It's got less coverage than the rest of these options, but it just does something to the skin, makes it all glowy and gorgeous and looks fantastic. You can build up the coverage, but you don't necessarily need to. I wouldn't be without this in my stash.

And finally, the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint. This stuff covers everything, but looks light and natural on the skin. It stops any shine coming through, but it doesn't look overly matte or powdery on the skin. I can't rave about this stuff enough, it's just skin magic.

One of the worst things you can do when wearing a bold lip is wearing a foundation too light for you, it can make you look super washed out, so make sure you're foundation is a good match for you!

What is your favourite way to wear a bold lip?

The Video: Dressing Table Tour

As a little Friday treat, today I'm giving you an all access pass to my dressing table, be excited! It includes some rather inexplicable squeaky voice clips, me nearly burning my garlic bread, and lots of me screwing up pronouncing product names.

Let me know what you think!

The Makeup Bag #3

Another day, another delve into my makeup bag. This time around I'm using my gorgeous new Whistles Leather Pouch to hold my makeup essentials, and it's fitting them all in perfectly.

Starting with base, I'm back using the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, which is a good match for my skin tone right now (I know, I'm as shocked as you, I'm tanned enough for a Bourjois foundation, who knew). This stuff gives a good medium coverage with a gorgeous glowy finish. It's not the longest lasting foundation out there but layered over a good primer it looks fantastic. It's cheap and cheerful and does the job.

I've been obsessed with the Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette since I got it, a gorgeous collection of beautiful matte taupe shades. They all work well together, and blend beautifully. They're soft and long lasting, they're fantastic. Enough said.

On the odd day where I don't have time for shadows I've been reaching for the Nyx Jumbo Eye Crayon in Yogurt, a beautiful shimmery shade that looks fantastic smudged across the lid on it's own with minimal effort. For a drugstore product this wears well and applies evenly and I'm impressed.

The only blush I've been interested in the last few weeks is the Tarte Captivating Blush, a gorgeous matte peach that's a little darker than the standard peach cheek offering, making it perfect for autumn. I'm obsessed with pairing this with a smokey eye and nude lip, it's just beautiful.

And lastly, I'm on my second DIY mani using Ciate's Iced Frappe Polish, a beautiful muted dusky pastel lilac. It's probably the most long lasting polish I've ever worn, and it's a gorgeous colour.

What have you been wearing recently?

The Review: Ciaté Mini Mani Month

With Christmas coming up and Ciaté releasing their annual polish advent calendar again, I thought I'd tell you my thoughts on last years, since I can't imagine they'll be much different!

First of all, let's touch on the idea of beauty advent calendars in general. They're kinda gimmicky, but if you do your research properly they can be worth your pennies. For any polish lover, this would make a great early Christmas gift, or just because treat. And for yourself, well, you deserve it!

The Ciaté calendar last year contained 22 nail polishes and polish effects, a set of mini nail files and a little bracelet. The bracelet was definitely gimmicky but I can overlook that considering the rest of the contents.

There was a good mix of different coloured polishes, sparkly topcoats, nail bead, nail glitter and even nail sequins. For a nail polish fanatic or nail art lover, this is a definite winner. The polishes are slightly smaller than the standard polishes from Ciaté, but it works out at around £2 a polish as opposed to £9 a polish if you were to buy them alone, so it's a definite bargain. Out of all the polishes there are only two that I'm not sure I'll get any use out of, the rest are all gorgeous.

I'm a big fan of Ciaté polishes, they've got a fantastic colour range, they apply really smoothly & they last a really long time.

Overall, you definitely get enough polish for your buck here, it's more about justifying whether you really need 22 new nail polishes!

Are you going to be buying a beauty advent calendar this year, or sticking with good old chocolate?

Rediscovered

Sometimes, when your beauty stash resembles a small Boots branch, it's easy for products to get forgotten about, and find themselves at the back of the stash. Recently, I had a product shift around, and I've rediscovered a few oldies, but goodies.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Waterproof Liner: I don't know what I did without this. A godsend on Monday mornings, this totally eliminates the redness you get on an early morning starting on your waterline. Cheap and cheerful, this gets the job done. A makeup bag staple from now on.

MAC Mineralize Concealer: When I fell in love with the Maybelline Concealer I kinda forgot about this. I've rekindled my love for this as a highlighting concealer, I apply this in a GIANT triangle under my eyes and it gives the impression that I'm a well rounded human who gets 10 hours sleep a night, never worries about anything and has the complexion of an angel. Long lasting too, this stuff is concealer gold.

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser: I didn't get the hype around this when I first bought it, but I think someone magicked this product into something else during it's time at the back of the stash. I'm having a bit of a good skin month right now so this stuff is good for me. It's one of the only bases that matches my current 'slightly' tanned state. It's light coverage but it blends well and is easy to build up. It looks super natural and lasts well throughout the day. You don't need this, but if you want to splurge on something, this is a good'un.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil: I put this aside during the warmer months, because it was a little too heavy, but the sudden drop in temperature combined with a bout of the flu has left my skin a little dry, so I've reintroduced this into my routine. It makes my skin plump and hydrated without feeling oily or greasy. This stuff is great for hydration, speeding up the healing of spots, and reducing redness. It's fantastic.

Are there any products you've rediscovered in your stash?

A Little Catch Up & A Few Questions

Hello! It feels like a while since we've had a chat, how are we all?

I thought it was about time that we had a catch up, there are a few questions I have for you guys and a few things I wanted to talk to you about!

Firstly, let's chat about the blog shall we? I've finally got everything sorted with Squarespace, there was a few issues with my domain last week that put the site down for a couple of days, I'm sorry about that but it was kind of out of my control! Moral of the story there is never buy a domain name from 123 Reg! I'm happy with Squarespace but I'd like to add some extra stuff to the sidebar, so if there's anything you'd like to see there, do let me know!

I also wanted to update you on content and posting. As many of you know I'm now in my third year of uni, which means a massive massive workload, much bigger than last year. At the beginning of 2014 I decided to try to post daily for the entire year, and I've had a couple of breaks, but for the most part I've kept it up, and I'm proud of that. I've decided to continue that til the end of the year, but in January I'll be having a bit of a rethink, it's just not practical to try and daily post on top of writing a dissertation and creating an entire magazine from scratch! I'd like to hear your feedback, on how often you'd like to see content, and what days and stuff!

I've been really enjoying creating videos for my YouTube channel, and was pretty excited to see we hit 300 subscribers this weekend. I know it's not much in the grand scheme of things, but it's more than I ever thought I'd have! I'm grateful to every single one of you that hit the subscribe button! I've had a few questions about the possibility of doing a few vlogs here and there, and a few people even suggested I take part in Vlogmas. Whilst I'm not sure daily vlogging is something I could commit to (plus my life isn't that interesting), I did think that maybe one vlog a week throughout the month of December could be feasible? Just including the highlights of the week? What do you guys think, is that something you'd be interested in?

One last thing, it would be MASSIVELY helpful to me if you have a spare five minutes if you could fill out this questionnaire for me. It should only take two or three minutes and will be a massive help for my Uni project! Thanks a bunch in advance.

As always, any video and post requests, feel free to leave them in the comments! This blog is as much about you guys as it is me, and I want to post what you want to see!

Thank you guys for your constant support and love, I love you guys!

Til next time!

The Review: My Little Box

There's a new subscription box on the scene and it oozes parisienne style and poise. I've tried Glossybox and Birchbox but neither of them were really for me. I felt like beauty boxes were kind of a con, shell out money each month for teeny tiny samples, half of which you could get at any beauty counter for free. Seemed like kind of a waste.

However, My Little Box is a little different. A team of like minded women carefully curate a collection of lifestyle and beauty items for each months box, and ship them to you from their pretty little offices in Paris. And so far? I'm impressed.

Each box is beautifully designed by their in-house illustrator, and contains a paper illustration too, they're gorgeous, I might frame the Paris one! I like the little details, like the illustrated boxes, monogrammed ribbon, the little canvas drawstring bags that contain the beauty bits and the illustration that's included.

The first box I received was the September box, My Little Parisienne Box. This one was probably my favourite of the two, mostly because of the stationery! Inside is an adorable notebook, sticker set and laptop sleeve, all with gorgeous illustrations. The laptop sleeve is the perfect size for my MacBook air, and the notepad will be perfect for taking notes on the go. I'm going to use the stickers in my Erin Condren planner! Beauty wise, this box was a winner, a generous travel size of the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, a gorgeous tiny glass bottle of the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse which I've always wanted to try, and My Little Box's Stylo Lumiere a golden highlighting pen with a promising formula. All in all, I'm massively impressed.

October's box was designed in association with the wonderful Diane Von Furstenburg, and contains a specially designed scarf! Whilst the scarf isn't my usual taste, I actually quite like it, it's adding a pop of colour to my usually monochrome wardrobe. Also in the box is an issue of the My Little World magazine, and a pin also designed by DVF. Beauty-wise, my box contained a full size Micellare Water from the My Little Box line, as well as a 75ml bottle of Kerastase Laque Noire Hairspray, a product with good reviews and perfectly sized for keeping in your handbag, as well as an adorably dinky L'Occitane Vanilla Bouquet Hand Cream. I'm going to keep some of these sample sizes for my trip over Christmas!

My Little Box is £14.95 per month including the delivery, and I absolutely think it's worth it! It's a nice little surprise to receive each month, and all of the items included in these boxes I will use, which is more than I can say for all the Glossybox samples I still have sitting around!

What do you think of My Little Box?

Inside My Flat

Because it's Sunday, and I figured we've had enough beauty chat this week, I thought I'd give you a sneak peak into my flat. The boy and I have been living in this flat for just over a year now, and since we are renting we haven't been able to paint, or hang anything on the walls, make any changes to make the flat feel more like ours. So we've had to settle for soft furnishings and accessories to try and make the place feel a little more homely. I feel like this is a problem a lot of people our age in their first place face, so I thought that maybe by sharing snippets of our flat, it might help some of you who are in the same position. Or, if you're just nosy like me, you might enjoy having a snoop.

The reoccurring theme you'll notice here is flowers and candles! There's something about having big bunches of flowers, and stacks of candles around that makes home feel more homely. The two big bunches here are both from Columbia Road Flower Market, they're so pretty and different and I love them. As for candles, the little wooden holders you can see are from Home Sense and Asda, whilst the white little house came from Gifts and Pieces. The majority of the other candles are either from Bath & Bodyworks, Diptyque, or Home Sense finds. I absolutely love Home Sense, it's got so many different bits, and reasonable prices too.

Our flat came fully furnished, but we ended up having to buy a few extra things, two desks, an extra chest of drawers for the bedroom, a dressing table and an extra coffee table for the living room, and we got all of this from Ikea, because really, you can't beat Ikea. A lot of our accessories are too, our couch cushions, and the vases, as well as the white tray that we keep all our fragrances on. The boy and I both have tons of perfumes so we put a selection of them out on this tray by the door to our bedroom, in the hope we'll actually remember to spritz them on the way out.

I'm not very good at keeping plants alive, so we have resorted to cacti. Mine is pink and the boy has a super spikey one (he calls it Pickles and gets very proud when he finds dead mosquitos on it). Last week a friend of ours bought us a potted Orchid, and I'm hoping to god I can keep it alive.

Last month I finally got a dressing table! I could not be more excited about that, and next weekend you'll be getting a little tour of that too.

As part of my degree, I've constantly got my head in a stack of magazines, I keep all of the relevant issues in a basket under a little coffee table next to the sofa for easy access, as well as a couple on the coffee table, and by my bed that I'm working my way through right now. On top of the table is a big ol' wooden Buddha statue, a gift from my grandparents. I'm not Buddhist, but I try to keep the main principles of Buddhism in my mind, I feel like they are good principles to live your life by. Coffee table Buddha is right behind my desk, and and serves as a good little reminder.

I've been tweaking my desk since I moved in but I think it's now pretty much perfect. It's mostly dominated by the giant computer my boyfriend built for me (it's an iMac but 1000 times more powerful). I keep all the little bits I need in a big Ikea box, my pens in a cute patterned cup and assorted lip balms and my watch in a teacup from Anthropologie. I've stuck a cute illustration from My Little Box on the wall, and a wooden Banksy print on my desk, as well as a snowglobe from Disney. I like having little souvenirs around! It's normally got a stack of makeup on too, things I'm writing about right now!

I also have an excessive beauty and candle stash on my bedside table because a girl's gotta have options when she's sleeping. I keep most of it in an acrylic storage unit from TKMaxx and a few little bits on a mini version of the Ikea tray I keep my perfumes on. It's a dust magnet, but it looks cute.

And finally, a little mention too my bed, which I've covered in assorted cushions, mattress toppers, blankets and throws (and of course my teddy bear), to make it the cosiest space ever. I spend a lot of time in bed, constantly napping or working when I get bored of sitting at my desk, so I wanted it to be somewhere super comfortable and warm and snuggly. It's worked too well because now I never get out of it.

How do you make your space feel homely?

The Review: Sephora Give Me Some Lip Set

As promised, today I want to give you a full review of the Sephora Give Me Lip holiday gift set. As far as important details go, the set retails for $25 in the States (about £16) and it contains one full size product and five miniatures. It's advertised as a sampler of 'pinky nudes' but I'd say the majority of the shades run more peach, and there's one in there that is not a nude. I picked up this set because it contained a lot of products that were on my 'to try' list.

The full size product is the Smashbox Be Legendary Lip Gloss in the shade Pout. Originally I was kinda bummed that this was the included full size product, it's an almost white milky pink that on it's own, I can't imagine looking good on anyone. However, a little experimentation, and this is amazing layered over bold shades to tone them down a little and making them more milky, nudey looking. It looks fantastic over all sorts of colours, from the likes of MAC Lustering to MAC All Fired Up. I've got other Smashbox glosses and I love them all, not sticky or greasy, fairly long lasting and for a high end product, fairly reasonably priced. Don't dismiss this one based on the shade, it's a good option to have for transforming other shades.

Next up, the Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Meritage, described by Sephora as a brick red (i.e. not a nude), but I'd say this runs as more of a berry shade on the lips. I've wanted to try the High Pigment Pencils for a while now so it was one of the draws of the set for me. Compared to the Bite Lipsticks, I don't think the formula is quite as good, they're a bit more slippy and they don't last as long, but the colour is gorgeous, and as far as crayons go, they're pretty good. This is a gorgeous berry for autumn/winter and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it over the coming months. Also, it's a fairly decent sized sample, the full size is 0.09oz and this one is 0.05oz, so it's more than half size.

Next up, a miniature Marc Jacobs Mini Lust For Lacquer in Kissability, a pretty my lips but better gloss with a hint of shimmer. It's slightly stickier than I normally go for, but that only serves to make it longer lasting, so it's a good option if you're after a gloss with a bit of staying power. I like this a lot more than I thought I would, it's become a bit of a handbag essential for me.

I've heard a lot about the Buxom Full On Lip Cream in White Russian from my gorgeous friend Tami, so I was excited to see this included. I've tried a tiny sample of these glosses before, and I really liked it. White Russian is a peachy nude shade that looks great on it's own or layered over other nude glosses. It's got that tingly feeling, but I wouldn't say it's 'lip plumping'. I love the shade and I actually quite like the packaging too. Another winner.

The NARS lip glosses get a lot of hype in the blogging world so the NARS Lip Gloss in Orgasm was another product on my to try list. I was a little concerned because in the tube it looks like it's got a heavy gold glitter, and whilst it definitely has a gold sheen, this peachy gloss just looks gorgeous on the lips. I love layering it with nude lipsticks for peachy nude lips, and the sheen makes my lips look bigger than they are. If I ever use this up I'll definitely repurchase.

And saving the best for last, how adorable is this mini Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked? It was going to pick this up, so it's inclusion in the set was a total bonus, and I can tell you for sure I will definitely be buying the full size when I run out. This is my perfect nude lipstick, just a hint of peach to warm it up, long lasting, incredibly beautiful pigmented formula, this stuff is the bomb.

Will you be picking up this set, or any of the products in it?

Autumn Fashion Haul!

So I went shopping! I know I don't normally talk about fashion (mostly because I'm wildly unfashionable) but I thought you might like to see the few bits I got. We've got everything from wardrobe basics, to giant coats to totally instagrammable cups.

What have you been buying recently?!

A Day In Brighton

 Tuesday morning the Boy and I woke at an ungodly hour and headed for Victoria, and caught the first train after rush hour to Brighton. Neither of us had been before, so we were excited to have a bit of an explore. We got off the train and headed straight to the beach, both of us grew up near the sea and miss it in London, so we were pumped to be breathing in the fresh sea air again.

Turns out Brighton Beach doesn't have a patch on Bournemouth beach, it's got stones, dirty water and tacky tourist attractions, we were feeling pretty smug with our white sand, clear water and unspoilt cliffside. But it was nice to feel the wind in my hair, and breath in the salty air.

We grabbed a light lunch in Bread and Milk, on recommendation of Tami, a cute little hipster cafe, before hitting the shops. We weren't majorly successful and left without many bags, but it was nice to explore a few different shops. I've heard a lot from bloggers and friends about Brighton, and the shopping in the Laines, but if I'm honest, I didn't think it was anything special, and it was a lot smaller than I expected! Maybe we are spoilt for choice living in London, but there wasn't really anything we couldn't get in London.

Late afternoon we had coffee & a catchup with a very good friend from back home, before grabbing a speedy dinner at Bills. The boy had never been before but he very much enjoyed his chicken and chorizo burger. I went for my long standing favourite, the Chipotle half chicken with sweet potato fries and slaw, deeeeelish. I love the atmosphere in Bills, it's cosy and friendly, and I can't fault the service we had!

I went for comfort over style outfit-wise, my trusty Topshop Leigh jeans that are incredibly soft and comfortable. On top I wore a white Mango shirt that has a silk panel on the front, making it a little fancier than your standard white tee, with a black cardi for extra warmth. I took my new Zara coat for a spin, and my god it's the warmest thing I've ever owned, and so cosy. I had my H&M scarf in my bag and I'm glad cause I definitely needed it! Shoe-wise I opted for my Nike 7.0's which are the most comfortable things I've ever owned. My bag was an Urban Outfitters sale find from a few years back, it's real leather and was £20 down from £110. It holds a ton without being big and bulky.

I don't think that Brighton was for us, the Boy definitely didn't like it, but we had an great day together!

 This photo totally sums up how the boyfriend felt about Brighton!