NOTD | Basil Street

I've recently rediscovered my love for nudes - especially on the lips. Whilst having a little sort through my big bag of nail polishes I came across the beautiful Basil Street by Nails Inc and instantly fell back in love with it. 

I love that it is a paler nude (if that makes sense?). It is almost the colour of natural nails, and the formula is lovely, easily gliding on to the nails without any gloopyness or lumps and bumps and only took two coats to be completely opaque. You can buy it HERE for £11 and I think it is such a lovely colour and totally worth the price. I also have 'Mushroom' by Barry M and I think that it is a much darker/brown toned shade and wasn't what I was hoping for.

Are you loving nude colours at the minute? 

xx

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Liebster Award #2

I've been nominated again! This time by the gorgeous Beth at The BW Fashion so go check out her blog!  In case any of you aren't familiar with the award, it's a way to help new bloggers promote each other and become more well known.

The Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you by linking their blog.

2. Answer 11 questions the nominator gave to you.

3. Nominate 11 other bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

4. Create 11 questions for your nominees.

5. Let the nominees know they have been nominated by contacting them.

Beth's Questions

1. WHICH BEAUTY PRODUCT COULD YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?

It would have to be mascara - I look completely dead without it. I have pale eyelashes so my eyes just look horrid without it. I'm loving Benefit's They're Real at the minute.

2. HIGH END OR DRUGSTORE MAKEUP?

This is difficult! Obviously you can get some bargains in the drugstore than can be complete dupes of high end products at half the price, but high end makeup just gets me excited and it usually feels so much better on my skin!

3. WHICH PHONE APP ARE YOU ADDICTED TO?
Instagram definitely. 

4. IF YOU COULD MARRY AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITH ANY CELEBRITY WHO WOULD IT BE?

I've had a soft spot for Ed Westwick for a long time now so I think it might have to be him. Or Ryan Gosling. Or David Beckham. Am I allowed all three?! 

5. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE TV SERIES CHARACTER AND WHY?
Blair Waldorf. She's just the queen of style and attitude isn't she? I love how she knows what she wants and she has Chuck. What more could you want?

6. HANDBAGS OR SHOES?
I'd have to go with handbags! I love buying them and I just feel like I get so much more wear out of them.

7. MOST EMBARRASSING SONG YOU HAVE ON YOUR IPOD/IPHONE?

I don't think this is that embarrassing but I've had a few weird looks when friends have seen Destinys Child - Say My Name on my iPod. I personally love the song!

8. IF YOU HAD £1000 TO SPEND IN ONE STORE, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE?
Topshop! I could buy all the clothes shoes and accessories I wanted and still be able to splurge on beauty products too!

9. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS TIME?
Hopefully I've discovered what I want to do as a job and I am happy in that. I would also like to be getting closer to the marriage/children part but who knows?

10. WHICH CELEBRITY DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST AND WHY?
I don't think I have one.

11. IF YOU HAD 3 WISHES GRANTED, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
To figure out what I want to do in life, for my friends and family to be happy and healthy and just a nice, happy life.

Who I Tag
1. Jade - Jadey Bug
2. Victoria - Exceptional Forever
3. Rachy - Rachy McKenzie
4. Karla - The Gold Brush
5. Sunaina - Sunaina
6. Lauren - Hello Miss Lauren
7. Claudine - Claudine Converses
8. Sophie-Lauren - Sophie-Lauren
9. Eva - Evasense
10. Chloe - This Daydreamer
11. Laura - Laura Barlow

Questions for you!

1. What is your favourite book, film and TV series?

2. What would you say your statement look is? (Beauty & Fashion)

3. What are the top five places you want to visit and why?

4. What is your biggest fear?

5. What is your all time favourite skincare, makeup item and haircare product?

6. Do you prefer makeup or fashion?

7. What is your dream job?

8. What are three things you cannot live without?

9. What was the last thing you bought that you were disappointed with?

10. If you could be a character from a film or tv series, who would you choose and why?

11. What is your ideal holiday? City break, beach or camping?

Thank you for reading and I look forward to reading your posts! 

xx

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Daisy Kind of Day

Hello lovelies! As summer is nearly over (I'm holding on as long as I can) and I've fallen in love with the daisy print, I thought I'd do a little post on just that - daisies.

I LOVE the Marc Jacobs perfumes. Daisy has been my go-to perfume for years now and I love it - it is such a fresh, summery scent that I don't think I will ever get sick of. I recently got bought Daisy Dream for my birthday and I hadn't heard about it but I fell in love as soon as I had smelt it. It has a fruity, floral fragrance, containing notes of blackberry, pear and fresh grapefruit. And did I mention the bottles? SO cute. 

I bought both an anklet and a bracelet from Depop for around £2 each and I just think they are so nice. I haven't worn my anklet yet, which I really need to before it's too cold for my ankles to be out! But I'm loving the bracelet and have received many compliments on it.

And to finish I obviously had to purchase the daisy hair bobble from primark. It just adds a little something to my hair when I'm having one of those boring/lazy hair-needs-to-be-off-my-face type of days, you know which I mean?

Are you a big fan of daisies or are you more of a sunflower type girl? 

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MAC Snob

Hello! Hope you're all having a nice sunday. So I've been shopping and have a new addition to my collection of MAC lipsticks! MAC describes 'Snob' as a ladylike mauve (huh?), but I would describe it as a baby pink with lavender undertones.

This lipstick is very pigmented and is seriously long lasting. It has a much more vibrant appearance than you would think by looking at the tube.

This lipstick is completely matte, and I think the satin finish isn't the most flattering, making my lips look quite fake.







It doesn't dry out my lips which is a big benefit and I'm definitely impressed with it.



I'm very pale skinned and I think this colour is more suited to that. You can see the lavender undertones on display in the above picture where the lipstick has been swatched on my hand (ignore the really chipped nail varnish! oops). The colour can be a bit overpowering to wear every day but can be toned down with a lipgloss.

What is your favourite MAC lipstick? Do you prefer bold colours or do you play it safe?

xx


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Illamasqua Haul

 I was recently very naughty and saw that Illamasqua were having an online sale so I obviously had to have a dabble. I thought I would share what I bought with you. 

Firstly, I saw that a few of their lipsticks were on sale. I LOVE a good lipstick and I obviously had to take advantage of this. I've never tried an Illamasqua lipstick and for that reason alone I had to add a few to my basket. I went for the shades Fable and Magnetism and both of these were £7.50 each.

- Fable - 

- Magnetism - 

I also added a lipgloss to my basket. I'm going to be honest and say I'm not big on lip glosses because I find them too gloopy and sticky on my lips usually. The shade is called Frenzy and the colour of this lipgloss is what made me give it a try (and it was only £5!).

Finally, I thought I would try one of their powdered eyeshadows. I went for Succumb which is a pale colour which I thought was perfect for me as I'm not big on bright eyeshadows and from first try I'm loving it! This was only £7.50.

So, that's what I bought! I will review each product and let you know how they all shape up! I'd definitely recommend having a look at the sale if you're interested in Illamasqua as I saved around £40 from buying this! 

xx

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University Freshers Tips | Getting Settled

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Hello! As it has recently been results day and with lots of people heading off to university in September, I thought this post would be quite helpful to those that feel a little lost about the whole thing. I've just graduated from university and I thought I could offer some tips to those that are just starting university.

1. Get Out There - Walking into a flat full of strangers is a very daunting thing but speaking to everyone and saying hi is a good way to start. They're in the same position as you, and you have to try to get to know people or how will you make friends? If you don't seem to get on then there's nothing lost, you've tried and that can't be held against you. 

2. Join a Society - It's a great way to make more friends and they have their own events and socials which gets you out doing things and just makes university life more fun. There is always a huge range of societies, and there's probably something that you enjoy or maybe something new that you've always wanted to try. 

3. Join Groups on Facebook - I was terrified of walking into a huge lecture room (if I ever found it) by myself and just sitting there not knowing anyone. Before I went to university, I joined a Facebook group where you could see members of your course. I got talking to a few of them and luckily enough I bumped into one of them on the night before our first lecture and we agreed to meet before it started. This meant I wasn't wandering around hopelessly lost and it was nice to know one person out of the whole course (my course was pretty big!). You can also join groups for your given accommodations and find your flatmates, that can sometimes make it easier and less awkward when meeting them. 

4. Go to the Freshers Fair - The Freshers Fair usually consists of you coming home with a bag full of free stuff. Yes, most of it is rubbish, but some stuff can be good. I got loads of vouchers for food and free entry cards for clubs and even got Dominos and a free t-shirt. Another tip - If you order Dominos and go to the door wearing your Dominos t-shirt, be prepared for weird looks. Yes, it happened to me. Did I care? Nope, I had pizza. Also, this fair is not just limited to first years, even when you're in your second or third year you can keep going back for the freebies! (And you'll know what rubbish to avoid!)

5. Course Problems - I studied Geography at uni and there were too options - physical or human. For our first year, regardless of which option you were on, you had to study the same modules which covered both. I chose the physical option and having to study modules in human geography was not what I expected, but I stayed on and in second year you chose your options to be what you wanted to learn. If you don't like your course, or it's not what you thought it would be like, talk to someone. They can help by giving you advice on potentially changing to a different course. You don't want to be stuck on a course you don't like or end up with debt from a course you quit after first year! People are there for you to talk to and they will be more than happy to help you!

6. Budget - I'm terrible at saving money and knowing my student loan is coming into my bank got me excited and I'd virtually spent it before I'd got it. Be careful with it - it may seem like a lot of money but it does go very quickly. If you're going out in freshers week every night that quickly adds up, you'll have course books to buy, your rent, food, insurance, laundry money and also just bits and pieces that you need. It does go quickly. I'd advise setting yourself a budget of how much you can spend each week and if you do go a bit over then it's not a problem, I'm just not recommending you going out and blowing it all on clothes or a new laptop. I also had a part-time job during my second and third year and I think it's a great way of bringing in a little extra money, and I still stuck to my budget each week but used that income on treats for myself or I'd use it for train fares or things like that.

7. Work Hard - You do only need 40% to get into your second year, but would you be happy with that grade? It may seem like an easy year but if you're working at this level, second year is going to be really hard! I'm not telling you to go into the library constantly because I know I didn't but I'd suggest not leaving your assignments until the night before (I'm talking from experience here guys - staying up all night trying to do something you've been putting off is hell). Also, a lot of courses offer a placement year and yes it is usually paid, but this requires you to be on target for at least a 2:1 (60%) so just give it a try.

8. Take up a sport/gym - I think this is very helpful to just keep you motivated and healthy. The student diet usually consists of cereal, pasta, soup and the occasional McDonalds on the walk home after a night out. This is not really good for the body and just signing yourself up for the gym and going a few times a week or signing up for a class just helps to balance that out. It's also a good way of meeting new friends. 

9. Home Comforts - If you get homesick, as hard as it may be, I'd really recommend sticking it out at university unless you're completely sure you can't be there anymore. Going home every weekend is going to stop you from settling in and may make it difficult for you to make friends with your flatmates if you're not around or miss out on things. If you're feeling down I'd suggest trying to do something fun with your friends, go out for food or a wander through town and just try take your mind of it. University is a big step but you learn to be independent and it is such a good way to do it, and it does get easier, I promise. 

10. Freshers Week Band - My university offered a freshers week wristband that cost £60 and as I didn't want to be the only one without one I bought it before arriving. My boyfriend at the time was going to the same university with me and he also bought one, so I thought I could always go with him if not. But yeah anyway - I arrived to my new flat and I was the only one that had bought one. I'd definitely recommend leaving this type of thing until you've talked to your flatmates and seen if that's something you'd all like to do or if you know people from home then you can go with them. It just allowed you access to the students union for different themed nights and events, for example we had a silent disco and Chase & Status were meant to play but they cancelled (boo!). But yes, I'd recommend saving your money unless it's something you really want to do, because I just went out to clubs and bars instead of the union and didn't really get my moneys worth at all. 

And my last tip is - have fun! You're a student and you don't have to worry about jobs and tax and all that scary stuff just yet! Just have fun learning and meeting new people and just make the most of it - especially that student discount! Good luck to anyone starting and I'm sure you'll love it! University was the best three years of my life so far and I'd go back in a second. 

Hopefully my tips were helpful for you! If you'd like anything else such as a list of things you need/don't need then let me know :) 

xx

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Liebster Award!

Hey lovelies! Today I was tagged by Holley Marie at Holley Marie to be part of the Liebster Award. I didn't really know what this was, but after reading her post (check it out here) I found out that it's a great tag that supports starter bloggers (with under 200 followers) to get themselves and others noticed, and helps you to get to know a little more about the blogger.

Holley Marie's Questions

1) WHAT WAS THE LAST ITEM YOU BOUGHT?

I may have had a little purchase on the Illamasqua sale. I mean, I got 2 lipsticks, a lipgloss and an eyeshadow for under £30? I couldn't refuse. 

2) WHY DID YOU WANT TO START BLOGGING?
I have been reading beauty and fashion blogs for a long time now and I've always wanted to get into it. I have just finished my university course and thought there was no better time to start, as before I was far too stressed to even think about it. I just wanted to be able to be a part of it, being able to help some people in their choices or to try save people some money if some products haven't lived up to expectations.

3) IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY CAREER WHAT WOULD IT BE?

This is a difficult question - as it's my daily struggle at the minute. What do I want to do with my life?! I really have no idea. I'd love to do something creative, like photography or something within beauty or within a magazine. I did a degree in Geography and I obviously like walking and being outside in the cold and getting muddy but I'm just not sure what I'd like to do regarding that. 

4)  WHATS THE SCARIEST THING YOU HAVE DONE?
I'm a bit of a wimp so I honestly don't think I have one. How bad is that? I'm terrified of heights so I may have to try force myself into something like a bungee jump.

5) WHAT ACHIEVEMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I know it might not sound like a big deal but I am proud of my degree. I had a really hard time at university, I wasn't very happy at some points and on occasion I really wanted to just give up and quit. I knew I could do it deep down and so I stuck with it. Things got better in third year because of option choices it was more focused on what I enjoyed and I really did like studying - minus the dreaded dissertation (made me far too stressed). 

6) WHAT IS BETTER MONEY OR LOVE?
Definitely love, no questions asked. You can have all the money in the world, but without anyone to love I can imagine it would get lonely. Personally, I find that love makes you so much happier as a person and much more appreciative of others.

7) HAVE YOU EVER CRIED BECAUSE OF A FILM, BOOK OR TV SHOW? IF SO WHAT WAS IT?

Yes I have! Well I'm going to sound like a loser but I obviously cried through Harry Potter - I mean sirius?! And dobby! Wow I was in tears. I've also cried at One Tree Hill, and Vampire Diaries. And recently I've been in floods of tears at The Fault in Our Stars. I was upset by the book but the film really got to me.

8) WHICH COUNTRY WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT?
Definitely America I think, I've never been! I feel like I'm really missing out. I'd love to go to New York, California and Las Vegas and just do a road trip around the states and just explore. 

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9) WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ALL TIME SKINCARE, MAKEUP ITEAM AND HAIR PRODUCT?

Skincare - I love a good cleanser. It would have to be Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser or Lush's Ultrabland. They make my face feel extremely clean and don't dry out my skin.

Makeup - I'd definitely say a mascara. On those days where I'm running errands I'll stick a bit of mascara on and it just makes me look more alive. 

Hair - I'm not really big on hair products. I'd probably have to go for my tangle teezer combined with the Aussie Haircare Products as they always leave my hair smelling delicious and feeling nourished.

10) WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LIKE? NAME AN ARTIST OR A BAND?
I like all types of music - I'm especially loving Ed Sheeran's album at the minute. I'm a big fan of Fall Out Boy, Jamie T, Arctic Monkeys and usually some chart stuff as well. 

11) WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU LEARNED?
To never take anything for granted. I've been having boyfriend troubles lately and well, sometimes couples get into that situation where they're just kind of comfortable with each other and never expect anything to go wrong. Well it did - and it made me realise that I can't take people for granted as I may lose them. 

Who I Tag

Lauraemie

A Little Bit of Kit

Chic Beauty

Andieology

Alyssa Mopia

Be and Love You Beauty

Becky B

Boots & Bows

Call Me Chlo

Crynard

Dulcies Beauty Blog

Questions for you!

1. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

2. What was the last product you bought, that you were really really impressed with?

3. What is your favourite book, film and TV series?

4. What are three things you cannot live without?

5. What does a normal day in your life consist of?

6. What are the top five places you want to visit and why?

7. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

8. What is your favourite food?

9. What's your favourite season of the year?

10. If money wasn't an object, what would you do all day?

11. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

The Rules

1. Link back to the person that nominated you in your post

2. Answer all questions they have given you

3. Nominate 11 more bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate for the award

4. Think up 11 of your own questions for your nominees to answer

I hope you have as much fun as I did answering my questions! It's really nice getting to know people more and I look forward to reading your posts :)

xx

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Epilator | Review and Top Tips to Reduce Pain

Hair removal is something that most girls choose to do. Personally, there is nothing better than the silky smooth feeling of my legs after a shower. I used to rely on cheap razors and most times I cut myself - I'm still unsure whether that is because of the product or my clumsy hands but I thought it was time to try something new, hopefully saving me time and blood.

I've tried both hair removal cream and wax strips in the past and I just ended up with sore patchy legs. They just did not work for me. I bought myself an epilator, and I did only buy a cheap one as I thought it wouldn't be too much money lost if I was too terrified to use it again. If I remember correctly this Visiq Epilator was £10 in Argos. I thought I would share my experience with you, give you some tips to make it that much easier and maybe convert a few people into giving it a try. 

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First things first, I'd recommend starting by getting a bath. This will open up your pores, which makes hair removal less painful. It will also calm you down and make you relax, as ripping your leg hair out isn't the nicest of thoughts now is it?

Make sure you've scrubbed away and exfoliated all of the dead skin from your legs. This scrub from Soap & Glory is perfect for this and I would definitely recommend it. It leaves the skin very smooth and doesn't leave it sore (my skin is very sensitive/dry). I would also recommend Imperial Leather Foamburst. As you can probably guess from it's name - its foamy. I got the Cherry & Vanilla one and it smells so nice and I love using it. It really does lather up, making you feel super clean and leaves your skin soft.

My next tip is to light a scented candle. This can take your mind away from the task you're doing and helps you to relax. I use the Passionfruit & Acai one from Morrisons which cost me £2. I also bought a big box of Pink Grapefruit & Lime tea lights from Sainsburys. 

Now onto the hair removal. It looks scary doesn't it? Yes, epilators do just rip the hairs out but how scary can that be? Answer: Very. Many women swear by using epilators due to it taking longer for the hair to grow back. It pulls the hair out straight from the root and leaves the legs smoother for much longer than other methods of hair removal. This is what most women want I guess? I surely do. 

A few tips for epilating:

1. Move the epilator in a circular motion on your leg - It should recommend this in the book you get with your epilator. I find the 'buffing' action to be much easier to bare than pulling the epilator straight up my leg.

2. Pull your leg straight - Having the skin tight makes it much easier for the epilator to get to the hairs and this will make the process much easier and faster.

3. Breath through the pain - I know it's easier said than done but honestly it's much better to carry on through than to keep stopping and starting again, the pain will feel worse. Trust me.

4. Hair length - I know you'd think that you'd need to grow your leg hair for this but you don't. It makes me feel gross and it's much more work than if the hair is shorter.

I'm going to be completely honest and say it does hurt. A lot. The first time I did it I was ready to put it away and never see it again but it really did leave me with smooth legs that lasted much longer than any other hair removal technique i've used in the past. It does take a lot of getting used to the pain does dull as I can now epilate without flinching every few seconds. No pain, no gain!

The last step, similar to shaving, is to moisturise. I wouldn't recommend moisturising straight after as it can make your legs very sore. Epilating does usually leave your legs a little red and bumpy and for this reason I would say wait a while and when you feel your legs are okay and have calmed down, the apply. I use an emollient cream that is for eczema prone skin, as my legs are extremely dry and most other moisturisers do not cut it with my skin.

I would also recommend The Righteous Butter from Soap & Glory as I find it very nourishing and hydrating for my skin and it also has the delicious perfumey smell that most of their products has.

Another tip - if you are planning on getting your legs out and you're thinking of epilating that day? Don't. I'd say stick to your usual shaving or hair removal cream. Epilating leaves my legs red and it really isn't flattering, but it usually clears up by the morning. 

I hope you liked these tips on epilating. Will you be trying it out or will you stick with your razor or hair removal cream? I'd love to know what you think about epilators - have you used one? What are your thoughts on them? Are there any hair removal products you love and can't live without? 

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Lush Ultrabland Cleanser Review

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser is my new holy grail skincare product. I have fallen in love with it, it melts away all the dirt and makeup and leaves your skin baby smooth. What's not to love?