The TMI Tag

So I was tagged to do this a few weeks ago (by the wonderful Daphne, check out her version here) but I figured I'd wait til this blog was live and do it here instead of on my beauty blog, since it seems a little more appropriate. Plus I'm aware that some of you don't follow me there, and you're here for the lifestyle thing, and probably don't know all that much about me, so what a great way to get to know me a little better! Also, my Uni deadline is tomorrow, so there's really not much interesting going on around here right now.

1: What are you wearing? 

A tshirt with pugs on and Topshop Leigh Jeans, with cosy socks.

2: Ever been in love? 

Yes.

3: Ever had a terrible breakup? 

No, not really! Though no break up is nice, is it?

4: How tall are you? 

5 10", i.e. I'm gigantic

5: How much do you weigh? 

I couldn't tell you an exact number (and I wouldn't!) but I'm always heavier than I think I'll be, because I'm tall and broad, with muscly ballet legs!

6: Any tattoos? 

One, a quote on my inner wrist.

7: Any piercings? 

My ears and my belly button. I actually had my ears done after my navel, and that was only about two years ago? I'm a needle phobe.

8: OTP? 

I don't really have one? Although I'd have loved it if at the end of Sherlock him and John had gotten together. I'd definitely ship that.

9: Favourite show?

Umm I don't really have one show I absolutely love above all others? Some of my favourites though would be Sherlock, Breaking Bad (sob, why did you have to end?!), The Big Bang Theory, Battlestar Galactica (don't judge me, I'm a secret geek), Modern Family and Orange is the New Black.

10: Favourite bands? 

I kind of go in phases with music, but right now I'm listening to a lot of Imagine Dragons, Fall Out Boy, Shinedown, the new Panic at the Disco! album, Paramore's latest album, Disclosure, The Pretty Reckless, Foxes, Lorde & Ellie Goulding. So basically a really random mix.

11: Something you miss? 

The beach back home when I'm in London.

12: Favourite song?

How is anyone supposed to pick just one answer to this question? Right now I really like Rather Be by Clean Bandit, Going to Hell by The Pretty Reckless & Tiptoe by Imagine Dragons.

13: How old are you? 

Nineteen, but I'll be twenty very soon (cries)!

14: Zodiac sign? 

Pisces, and a very typical one at that. Every time there is a description of Pisces characteristics, it usually sums me up completely!

15: Quality you look for in a partner? 

They've got to make me laugh.

16: Favourite Quote? 

"Life is not about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself."

17: Favourite actor? 

Can I say Ryan Gosling, not on a talent level but just because he's dreamy?

18: Favourite color? 

Realistically, it's black, if I can have it in black I do, but I love the colour purple.

19: Loud music or soft? 

Loud, definitely, to drown out my terrible singing.

20: Where do you go when you're sad? 

I like to sit on my windowsill and shut the curtains around me, so I can just look out the window and ponder life.

21: How long does it take you to shower? 

Depends, if I'm just washing my hair and body then like 10 minutes, but since I'm so tall if I've gotta shave my legs I'll be in there hours.

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 

Again it kind of depends, if I'm going to uni then half an hour, if I'm staying in and working from home 10 minutes, and if I want to look super nice than anywhere up to like an hour and a half. I don't like to shower in the morning though, so that saves me time, I always shower in the evening before bed!

23: Ever been in a physical fight?

Nope. Unless you count sisterly fisticuffs but what's the odd slap between sisters?

24: Turn on?

Nice eyes.

25: Turn off? 

Bad grammar. Yes I am a grammar nazi.

26: The reason I started blogging? 

I was pretty lonely when I moved to London, and I needed someone to talk to about makeup!

27: Fears? 

Waking up in the morning, taking a sip of my glass of water and accidentally swallowing a bug that fell in the glass overnight. I know, I'm nuts.

28: Last thing that made you cry? 

I had a good old cry a week or so ago after I got all worked up over uni work, money stuff and getting old. You know when you just have too many emotions going on they spill out a bit? Yeah, that.

29: Last time you said you loved someone? 

Earlier today.

30: Meaning behind your blog Name? 

This blog is just my name. Pretty straightforward. My beauty blog is called Bed in the Kitchen, and I started it when I was living in a studio flat in University halls, where my kitchen was at the end of my bed! (really bad if you're a grazer like me, all my time in that flat was spent lying in bed eating!)

31: Last book you read? 

Oh crumbs, technically the last book I read was research for my dissertation, but the last proper book I read was Allegiant by Veronica Roth.

32: The book you're currently reading?

Inferno by Dan Brown.

33: Last show you watched? 

Battlestar Galactica (geek).

34: Last person you talked to?

The Boy.

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?

My mum!

36: Favourite food? 

Just one?! Ummm probably donuts, I could eat donuts til I explode.

37: Place you want to visit?

Marrakesh

38: Last place you were? 

Other than my flat? Uni.

39: Do you have a crush?

Eh I hate that word. Well I have a boyfriend who I live with and he's alright I guess.

40: Last time you kissed someone?

About an hour ago!

41: Last time you were insulted?

I can't remember! 

42: Favourite flavour of sweet?

This'll divide opinion, I love a good Parma Violet. Also those big flat gummy strawberry things. Any red sweets basically.

43: What instruments do you play?? 

A bit of piano.

44: Favourite piece of jewellery?

The Tiffany necklace my parents bought me for my 16th birthday, I never take it off.

45: Last sport you played?

What is this sport you speak of?

46: Last song you sang?

Foxes - Youth

47: Favourite chat up line?

I really can't think of one? Maybe I need to get out more?

48: Have you ever used it?

Clearly not!

49: Last time you hung out with anyone?

I'm 'hanging out' with the boy right now if that counts? Not sure if doing work side by side counts! 

50: Who should answer these questions next?

Vanessa (because then both me and Daphne have told her to do it!), Danniella, Celina, Becca & Holly. And anyone else who wants to!

What's On My Face: The Monday Morning Edit

To me, Monday mornings are all about tricking people into thinking I'm awake. Not this Monday, because I have a rare day off, so today will be spent catching up on work from the comfort of my bed, but every other Monday. Since I'm not really a morning person (my idea of a perfect day is one that involves me waking up around 1pm) I tend to have a fail-safe plan for fast Monday makeupto make people believe I'm well rested, and enjoy getting up at ridiculous o'clock. The aim of the game here is to look awake, healthy and glowy, using as few products as is humanely possible, to be as fast as is physically possible.

So to start with I always spritz my face with the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, which does an incredible job of brightening up my skin, making it look naturally glowy. Then, to really ramp up the glow factor, I like to use my Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer which not only adds a real glow to my face, but also makes sure my makeup stays put all day without fuss. I then go in with the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, a gorgeous natural looking foundation with medium coverage. My concealing tag team of choice at the moment is the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on blemishes and redness, and MAC Mineralize Concealer for under the eyes, the shade I have gives good coverage whilst still really brightening the area. All of this literally takes about three minutes now (I've got it down) so that's a good start.

Monday mornings are not the time for attempting contour and highlight, so I just like to really go to town with a good highlighting blush. Most of the time, the blush in question is NARS Daydream a beautiful pink blush with silver shimmer running through. I use the Space N.K. Contour brush to really pack this onto my cheeks, the silver shimmer is subtle but it really brightens my complexion, whilst the pink adds dimension back into my face and gives me a good old glow. 

Eyes are normally a mascara only affair, but if I have time (read: am bored on the tube) I'll add use a coloured eyeshadow primer to even out the tone of my eyelids, and then smudge a little liner into the outer corner of my lashline. On this occasion, I used a sample I had of the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden a matte beige that disguises the redness on my eyelid, and the Smashbox Eye Liner In Graphite just to define the lashes a little. For mascara, Monday mornings call for the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara, a one-coat-wonder that lengthens and volumises each individual lash, making my eyes look more awake and my lashes fluttery.

This is all finished off with a slick of a sheer lipstick (Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Pink Flush, a pretty pink that brightens up my face) that can be applied on the tube sans-mirror, my glasses so I can actually see at uni, and a good spritz of dry shampoo in the roots of my hair, to disguise the fact that I haven't even brushed my hair, much less styled it. 

I've got this entire routine down to an impressive seven minutes. How long do you spend on your makeup on a Monday morning? Do you have a failsafe, go-to routine?

This Week's Most Loved #7

I've been pretty limited in terms of product choice this week, I've been back in Bournemouth since Tuesday with just a small makeup bag, and a selection of skincare samples. The plus side of this is it was pretty easy to pick out which products I've been loving the most. 

I decided to pack my NARS One Night Stand Palette since it contains four blushes, a bronzer and a highlight, it's got all my cheek needs covered, and I've remembered just how much I love it. The last month or so I've been using my newer NARS single blushes and neglecting my One Night Stand Palette but I love the shades in this. I've been wearing Orgasm and Goulue the most, and they're gorgeous. 

I have a full size of the YSL Babydoll Mascara, but I decided to chuck in a mini sample of it I had for my trip home, since it's a great space saving size. I didn't originally like it when I first used it, but it is growing on me. It's not as good as the YSL Shocking mascara in my opinion, but it does separate my lashes and define them nicely, giving great length. A nice every day option. 

Two MAC products I've been loving this week, first the MAC Mineralize Concealer, which I love for under my eyes, it's got good medium coverage but it's also quite brightening. I like to apply this in a triangle under my eye, and then blend it out with my ring finger. The other product is the MAC Lipstick in Craving, which I bought on a weak day for no particular reason and hadn't worn since. I don't think that this suits me applied directly to the lips, but I do like to just pat a little bit into my lips more like a stain, and then top it with a lip balm. This has photographed really bright pink, I don't know why since in reality it's a dark pinky colour.

Another Model's Own polish I've been loving this week, is the Velvet Goth Polish in Valerian, a gorgeous Royal Blue with different shape and size glitter. It finishes matte but I've been wearing it with a glossy top coat and I really like it, even the boy commented on it!

I also wanted to mention the boots I've been wearing all week, they're the F&F Cut Out Western Boots in Brown* and oh my god they're the comfiest boots ever. They have a slight heel but whatever it's made from means it squishes slightly underfoot, making it incredibly comfortable, you don't even realise you're wearing heels! I love the side detail too, and they're in the sale here for only £15! I've had quite a few pairs of boots from F&F now and they always last forever, they're really well made, especially considering the price!

What have you been loving this week?

The Drugstore Dupe #6

Satin Taupe is without doubt my favourite shadow from MAC. It's a gorgeous iridescent purpley silver shade that looks great washed across the eyelid on it's own, or with a whole host of different shades in the crease. It's the only eyeshadow I've ever completely used up and repurchased, which considering the number of eyeshadows I have, is pretty impressive. 

However, the fact remains that MAC eyeshadows have been steadily increasing in price recently, and realistically, £12.50 is a lot of money for one single eyeshadow. Especially, when if like me you like to travel with your favourite shadows, and they have a habit of smashing. So when I came across an almost identical colour in a pre-Uni Superdrug browse before Christmas, I had to snap it up. 

The Maybelline Eye Studio Eyeshadow in Iced Fudge retails for £4.09 in Boots, but I actually picked this up half price (bargain), making it a ton more affordable than MAC's offerings. In terms of colour, in the pan they are almost identical, but I would say that Iced Fudge has a slightly browner base, and Satin Taupe is more grey based. Once you get these on the lid though, you really can't tell a difference.

Of course, the formula isn't quite the same, Satin Taupe has an incredibly smooth, almost buttery texture, it's incredibly soft and incredibly pigmented, I find Iced Fudge to be soft but slightly chunkier, it takes a bit more blending to get an even texture, but the result is the same. I tend to always use eye primers so I haven't seen a difference in wear time with these. 

What are your favourite MAC eyeshadows? Have you tried any of Maybelline's shadows?

10 Under £5

Since last week's 10 under £10 post went down well with you guys, I decided to take it one step further, and I took to my stash looking for my top ten products with a price tag under £5. I thought I'd struggle, being a luxury product girl at heart, but I actually found it really easy, turns out there are a fair few bargain products in my stash that I love.

Maybelline Baby Lips - £2.99 in Boots

You guys knew I'd include this, right? My favourite from the line is the Intense Care lip balm, I apply this every morning before my makeup to soften my lips for lipstick, and I also tend to chuck this in my handbag for midday lip emergencies. It's cheap and it softens up my lips a treat! I also have the shades Cherry Me, Pink Punch and Peach Kiss, that I use when I want a sheer lip colour. No, they aren't the most hydrating lip balms in the world, but for day to day hydration, or a moisturising burst of sheer lip colour, they're great!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - £5.00 in Tesco

One of my favourite under eye concealers, and one of the only concealers I've ever repurchased. Creamy medium coverage concealer with brightening qualities, it's one of the best concealers I've ever used, and the price tag means I will continue to repurchase it.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint - £4.99 in Boots

The longest wearing cream shadow I've ever used. These are like liquid eyeshadow, apply to the lid with a doe foot applicator and it sets solid in around 30 seconds. These things honestly don't budge until you go at them with makeup remover. The shade range is a little iffy, but I love Rich Russet and Golden Bronze is pretty too. They make great eyeshadow bases, you can guarantee your eyeshadow will stay intact all day with this as a base!

Kiko Kiss Balm - £4.70 in Kiko

I actually got this a little cheaper since I picked mine up in Italy, but it still comes in at under £5. These are an incredibly creamy lip balm formula but with good pigmentation. I have the shade Blackberry, a creamy my lips but better shade. These also have the same vanilla scent as MAC lipsticks, which I am a sucker for.

Maybelline Eye Shadow in Iced Fudge - £4.09 in Superdrug

This is a discovery I made in the run up to Christmas. A beautiful, shimmery taupe shade, very similar to MAC Satin Taupe. The formula is soft and pigmented, it blends easily and is one of those shades that looks effortlessly good on it's own, blended across the eyelid.

Lipcote - £3.69 in Boots

A must for any bold lip lovers out there. So it doesn't taste so great, and I wouldn't recommend using it on chapped lips, but this stuff is a lifesaver. Apply this over your lipstick to lock it down, and make it last all day, no matter how many burgers you eat, boys you kiss, and coffees you drink.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner Pencils - £3.99 in Superdrug

The closest thing you'll get to an Urban Decay liner on the highstreet. Creamy texture that sets, staying place all day even on the waterline. I love the shades Bronze and Nude, I have Taupe too which I don't love as much, but it's still pretty good.

Sleek Blushes - £4.49 in Superdrug

In my most humble opinion, the best blush on the high street. Intensely pigmented, and soft to the touch, with a gorgeous shade range. I have four of these that I use all the time.

Models Own Nail Polishes - £5 in Boots

Other than Essie Polishes, these are my favourite polish picks. With an incredibly vast colour range, good formula, and a super affordable price tag, I love these.

Elegant Touch Rapid Dry Spray - £3.05 in Boots

Spray this onto freshly painted nails for totally dry nails in 30 seconds. If you struggle with sitting still after painting your nails like I do, you should give this a go! 

Have you tried any of these products? What are your top picks under £5?