January Glossybox!

Sorry that this post is going up a little late, I have spent most of my afternoon putting together a flat packed drawer unit from Ikea all by myself. I am oddly proud that I succeeded to get it together and up the stairs without breaking something or injuring myself. It's made up part of my new make up storage area, if anyone would like to see the end result then let me know and I would be more than happy to show you (once my bookcase has been moved & things have been dismantled to suit my new layout) 


Anyway, on with the Glossybox.. First off I would like to thank the postman who decided to throw my glossybox over the back wall because I wasn't in, luckily nothing was broken but even so, that is not cool! I wasn't sure if I would even get this months box seen as it is nearly February and It still hadn't arrived but it did and I was quite happy with it. 

This months box was bright pink, my favourite type of pink, which had something to do with it being valentines day related. It was a nice surprise to see a bright 'special edition' box this month instead of the normal pale pink. 

A quick overview of what is inside my glossybox this month.. Clarins extra firming day cream & extra firming night cream, Murad hybrids skin perfecting primer, FAB Gentle body wash and Eyeko skinny eyeliner. I am most looking forward to trying out the eyeliner, body wash and the night cream. I will do a review post in a couple of weeks to let you know my thoughts on the products and see if there is anything that surprises me. 
XO  

Maybelline Lipstain Review!

WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY POST!

L-R: Tender Rose, Wink of Pink, Shy Red, Blushing, Plum Flushed.

I was first introduced to lipstains when I picked up a covergirl one when I was in Chicago last year and had really liked using it. I only discovered the Maybelline Colour Sensational lip stains a month or so ago (yes, I've had this post planned for ages) and was happy to see that lipstains had made it over here, because as a lot of you know, here in the UK we get left out of a lot of good make up releases! (boo.) I believe the colour sensational lipstain line is made up of 6 shades, which I own 5 of. They retail at £5.99 each but I bought all of mine when they were part of 3 for 2 or buy one get one half price deals at boots and superdrug. I think they are worth the price tag as they have a shade for all occasions that will suit everyone as the colours are able to be built up to go from a light colour to a darker version of the initial shade. The colour payoff lasts a lot longer than a traditional lipstick as you may have guessed from them being a stain which means there is no real need to be reapplying it all the time, especially if you have built up the colour as by the end of the day it would have faded to a lighter shade instead of disappearing all together. I have tested this by swatching it on my hand and seeing how long it lasts with me washing my hands during the day and I still had a faint line left on my hand by the end of the day. Weirdly I think they smell and taste a little fruity but that may just be me.. I tend to reach for one of these lipstains more often then I would a lipstick as most of the time I forget to reapply during the day, with these I can apply it once and have no need to reach for it again during the day. Right now Maybelline cosmetics are 3 for 2 on the boots website and I think probably in store as well so you are able to get three of the six shades for just under £12!
Here are some awkward lip shots so you can see what the lipstains look like on..

Tender Rose

Wink of Pink

Shy Red

Blushing

Plum Flushed 

I hope you found this little review useful, I am now off to clear out my room, wash my make up brushes and continue working on my best friends birthday present! As always, leave any questions/requests in the comments below and I will get back to you ASAP. 

XO

CNL: Mermaid To Order

I haven't done a Current Nail Look in ages so I figured next time I paint my nails I would do one. Today is that day! I must apologise for the rubbish pictures, my camera was running out of battery and kept freezing and turning off. not cool. 

'Mermaid To Order' is my all time favourite OPI nail varnish colour. It changes from blue to teal to turquoise to green depending on the light its in. So freaking pretty! 

On the nails. In the picture it looks turquoise/blue but in person it definitely has a fair amount of teal/green reflex which is so pretty. 'Tempted By Teal' is an almost identical colour with more of a green undertone which is currently on sale on my blog sale so if you like this then you will like that colour too!




I need to start getting more CNLs up but I keep forgetting when I change my nail colour, bad char! 

Picture Memories TAG

WARNING: Some embarrassing pictures to follow..You have been warned..
A Picture Of You In Your Younger Years...

A Picture Of You On Your Birthday Or Your Favourite Holiday...

A Picture Of You In Your Room...

A Picture Of You Making A Crazy Face In Front Of The Camera... Typical bestfriend picture

A Picture Of You Showing Off A New Haircut Or Hairstyle... Full fringe much

A Picture Of You Being Absolutely Ridiculous... 

A Picture Of You With The Friend(s) You've Know The Longest...

A Picture Of You & Your Newest Friend... 

I don't have any pictures with my newest friend.

A Picture Of You & Someone You Love...

A Picture Of You That You Didn't Know Was Being Taken...

A Picture Of You That Describes How You'd Like To Spend Everyday... Being silly & having fun

A Picture That Makes You Smile... Me & Matt at Disneyland

A Picture Of One Of The Best Days Of Your Life... Meeting Nick Jonas, unexpectedly 

A Picture Of You In Your Favourite Place... Disneyworld!

A Picture That You Remember Taking... 

A Picture Of You Doing Or Trying Something New...

Can't find a picture of me doing or trying something new, bit lame. sorry!

A Picture Of You In A Time Of Your Life That You Wish Wasn't Over... I miss school, sometimes..

Its your turn now, I want to see your picture memories! You have been TAGGED! 

XO

Top 5 Series: Blush and Bronzer!

Time for part 3 of my Top 5 Series and this week I am talking brush and bronzers. I am not a huge fan of bronzers but I have a couple that if I am to wear them I pick every time, mostly this will just be about blushes. 

Vivo 'peaches & cream' baked blush
This is my holy grail of blushes. It has warm peachy tones which are perfect for adding a pinch of colour for the autumn/winter months. For £4 its a bargain plus its a reasonable sized product so it will last a really long time. Who said supermarket cosmetics brands are lame? 

Vivo 'Cinnamon Glow' Baked blush 
Technically this is a blush but I prefer to use this as a light bronzer. I really like the warm tones in the blush which make it darker. The powder is really light which allows the colour to be built up from a light bronze to a darker bronze dependent on your skin tone. Again, its £4 for a good sized product. 

ELF Natural Radiance Blush in 'Innocence'
This is my go to summer blush, on those days that I decide wearing make up is a good idea I like to swap out the warmer shades for some lighter shades. As you can see from the picture there is a slight dent in this one as I used it so much last summer which will become bigger when spring/summer gets here. Another light powder good for building colour without looking cakey. It's also £1.50, it gets better!

Topshop Cheeks in 'Prism'
This is such a pretty highlight/light bronze colour. It gives off a light gold colour which blends so easily due to its creamy consistency. You only need a small amount as it blends out a lot and you don't want really shiny cheeks. Another way to use this is to dot it on your cheek bones to create a nice highlight and definition. I'm not sure if its still available but if it is, go get it. 

ELF 'Blushed & Bronzed' Duo
I have heard a lot of people comparing the bronzer to the Nars 'Laguna' bronzer but for a fraction of the price (being £3.50 for the duo) I used this so much when I first got it, and probably wore a little too much, but if I am in a bronzer mood this is one of the ones I reach for to create a summer glow. Makes me realise that I need a tan! 




I am in the process of writing a selection of posts so that I have some prepared to avoid those awkward 'I have no time to write a post' stages. Not sure what Top 5 I will do next week so let me know if there are any particular ones you want to see. 
XO

Mini Update!

Hello lovely people! Sorry I have been a bit MIA recently I have been pretty busy. First off there is college. For some reason teachers think its okay to spring deadlines on us for three days later and expect everything to be completed. Two of my teachers have done that, so not cool. I am now in the process of working my butt off to get every part of two assignments completed by Friday which turns out its a lot of work. As if that isn't bad enough it's assessment time so I have two practical assessments in sports massage and in instructing physical activity coming up soon which I am attempting to remember everything for so I don't mess up and fail! Unfortunately because of this my blog has been put on the back burner for a little while whilst I attempt to knock out a tonne of work. I am sorry about the lack of posts recently, it's slightly annoying that I have had a fair few posts planned yet no time to get them up. Rescheduling is becoming a bit packed now!

Because of all of this I have decided that on my day off tomorrow I am going to attempt to get at least five posts drafted or scheduled for the next couple of weeks so I'm not attempting to juggle work and blogging yet still giving all my wonderful followers something to read. Hence the mini update you are reading right now, I missed blogging! I am so much more motivated to blog then I am to actually do my work which I think it's the normal vibe from most busy bloggers!

One more thing. I am addicted to Vampire Diaries. I got season 1 and season 2 for Christmas and only yesterday did I get round to actually watching it. Right now I am on episode 10 of season 1 and I actually love it! Right now I am Team Stefan but my friend at college told me that I will change my opinion later on in season 2 or 3. As of right now Damon is an arse so stefan it is! Sorry this post has been super rambling but I think that's because I have been missing blogging!

Hope you all have had a lovely day
XO

Collective Haul

Recently I have been doing a little bit of 'sale' shopping, since I have put myself on a beauty spending ban I have turned to clothes and accessories. I am thinking ahead to those spring/summer months as well as having a little change of style in regards to wearing prettier more feminine t-shirts. This haul has been accumulated over  a couple of weeks and I have to put it out there that my mum paid for a couple of bits as she was buying a lot of stuff at the time and I managed to slip a few items in her pile, slyy.. The rest was all purchased with my own money! I have to say, if you aren't interested in Haul posts then please just close the page, I'm not forcing you to read this post.


Last week a put in a small Accessorize order after seeing that most of their sale items had been reduced by up to 70% as an attempt to shift it all. I was pretty impressed with the bargain prices for some really nice items! 

Ipad Case - WAS £25, NOW £7.50!
The main reason I went on Accessorize was because I had been eyeing this up in the shop a couple of times. It was reduced from £25 to £18 to £12 then to £7.50. I decided that I might as well get it for a price like that!

Cable Knit Tights - WAS £12 (each), NOW £3.60 (each)
I chose these purely because I was in need of tights and because they were so cheap. The cable knit design makes them cuter looking than a plain cream or grey pair of tights. 

Cord Bracelet - WAS £14, NOW £4.20
I chose this bracelet because it reminded me of the bracelet my boyfriend wears, which he made himself and is more boyish, without the beads obviously. It's really pretty and simple to wear everyday as well as having a girly touch with the shiny beads tied in around it.






Now onto the clothes I (and my mum) purchased from Debenhams and those clothes I purchased from Hollister and River Island.

Playsuit - River Island - £40
I saw this while out shopping with my best friend the other day and really liked. The collar and the waist detail is so cute plus the button waist gives a nice definition. I really want to wear this, hurry up sun!

Plaid Shirt - Hollister - WAS £44, NOW £22.90
I have been looking for a shirt like this for a long time and am planning on adding a few styles like this to my wardrobe. When I spotted this one under those dim lights in hollister and saw the current price I decided it was a must have. For a hollister shirt I think £22.90 is pretty reasonable. I'm planning on wearing this with denim shorts and a tank top on the cooler spring summer days.

Shirt - Debenhams - £32
This was the last one of these shirts left and it was in my size so I like to think it was meant to be. I really like the collar detail and the sheer sleeves. I think this shirt could be worn from day to night depending on how its dressed up which I will be experimenting with at some point.

Heart Jumper - Debenhams - £32
My parents actually spotted this jumper for me a couple of weeks ago and thought I would love it, they are right. It's a cream colour with a black block at the bottom and a giant pink heart, what more could you want. I chose a size 8 but it is still quite baggy so I suggest sizing down if you wanted to get this. I can't wait to wear this!

Shirt dress - Debenhams - £30
This is my favourite item I chose. I saw it on a manikin and in a poster and thought it looked so pretty on. The picture does it no justice so expect an outfit of the day including this. The shoulder, pockets and button outline are all gold lined which is such a nice contrast to the navy blue. It has a fabric tie around the waist to help define it and also comes with a slip as the shirt is completely sheer. I am so excited to wear this and hopefully pull it off as well as the manikin! 


I am now not spending any more money until pay day next month! 
XO

Beauty Spending Ban

As you may have guessed from the title I am going on a self inflicted beauty spending ban! I have to say my mum probably had a bit of input by her constantly saying "Don't buy anymore make up, you don't need it!" but i still went out and bought more every time! (sorry mum!). My ban is going to be for 6 months because I'm pretty sure I won't last an entire year, baby steps..
My aim of the mini ban is to use up a lot of the products I already have and also save up some money for a potential trip to America where it will be blown in Target and Sephora, which surprisingly mum has agreed to (haha). I have given myself a little leeway by only purchasing things I desperately need like foundation and other everyday products but only when they run out!
By writing this out on my blog it means I have it in writing, I can revisit it and make sure that I'm sticking to it! Sorry this post is ridiculously short but I wanted to write this up, how about a mini update..

My braces are feeling fine now but one tooth really hurts! I have progressed from soup to skips, actual food hah! Today I had to do my sports nutrition assignment which was a presentation on an athletes 2 week diet plan. I chose Tom Daley and I got a distinction (equivalent to an A!) which I was super pleased with! It is mine and Matts almost year and a half anniversary tomorrow aka 1 year and 5 months so we are going out to dinner at TGIs which is quickly becoming my new favourite restaurant. On an adoption note, my parents have their preparation classes next week. Finally the process is back up and moving!

Hope you all had/have a lovely day!
XO

Top 5 Series: Face Products!

Part 2 of my Top 5 Series and this week I am tackling face products. A little side note, this doesn't include blush/bronzer as that will be in a separate post, this one will be my setting spray, foundation, primers and powder picks.

Up first is Urban Decay's 'De Slick' setting spray. I can't even begin to express my love for this product. I have had this bottle for at least 5 months and it is still has a fair amount left in the bottle, I used it twice a day, every day and if that's not value for money I don't know what is. It controls oil perfectly with 3 sprays before make up and 3 sprays after. Since I have started using it there has been no oil or shine on my face throughout the day, used alone or with a shine control powder for those bad skin days. If you had to invest £19 in a setting spray, go to Urban Decay, they are the bomb dot com.

Product number 2 is Rimmel London's Match Perfection powder. This is perfect for setting foundation. The powder is described as creamy but it is so light it never leaves your face looking cakey. The colour range of powders matches those of the foundations so they blend together perfectly. It is a little pricey at £6.99 for a powder but it lasts for a really long time before you hit pan.

A recent discovery & investment thanks to Decembers Glossybox. The MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Primer makes my top 5 for so many reasons. The smell, it smells lovely and fruity which really wakes me up in the mornings. It is super moisturising which is great for the likes of me with horribly dry skin in the winter. I was a bit sceptical with it being a moisturising primer that it might not keep the make up on all day but it proved me wrong and keeps my make up looking good until I take it off!

The Rimmel London Match Perfection gel foundation is my all time favourite foundation. The gel consistency is slightly thicker than the liquid version which means less is needed to create a better coverage, it also gives a better coverage than a mousse foundation which can end up looking cakey. This blends in really well with my natural skin colour just as it claims. I am yet to find anything I like more than this, I will be using this for as long as possible!

My final product is benefits High Beam. I'm sure everyone has heard of/ used this product and knows how great it is. I really like using this to highlight my cheek bones which gives them a nice definition and can make it look like they actually exist rather than being barely visible. Using a small amount can add a bit of pearly colour on the cheeks which is really nice. However, I would advise not using a lot of the product due to it potentially making you look overly shiny! 








I hope you all found part 2 interesting. Sorry it is up so late, I've had a busy day today! Blogging at reasonable hours will resume tomorrow..
XO

Braces: The Fitting

Hello everyone, my teeth feel funny! I went to my orthodontist this morning to get my braces fitted and now my teeth feel weird. I thought I was getting my top and bottom braces fitted today but I was told that my bottom teeth will take less time to straighten then my top teeth, also more space is needed on my top teeth so right now all I have on is half a brace on my front top teeth to move them to get space. Once all this is done and I have 2 teeth out I will get my full braces on. 


I've heard so many stories about braces so I was really nervous about going in and getting it done this morning. I had to have some 'mug shots' taken as well as moulds of my teeth. I nearly threw up when I had my top mould done due to the paste being so far back I nearly gagged but of course I couldn't mention that to the orthodontist because of the mould (wahh) My teeth were polished and cleaned before the brace was put on. I hardly noticed him putting the little bead things on and only felt a bit of a tight feeling when the wire was put it, I worked myself up over nothing really (typical).  
After it was fitted I went and had an aftercare meeting and they gave me soo much information! I have two information packs telling me common pains, issues with the brace and how to deal with discomfort as well as what not to eat and drink and how to take care of it. 
The Info Packs!





I also got given a 'goodie bag' containing all sorts of things I will be needing to use regularly. Including a travel toothbrush (the pink one is a baby toothbrush) mouthwash, sensitive toothpaste,  lip balm, wax and lots of little brushes for various parts of my mouth. I was advised to buy bonjela as ulcers are common so I am well stocked up on that! I am going to create an 'on the go' bag to put in my bag or take to college because I'm going to need this stuff a lot!


Right now I am feeling okay, I'm in no pain but my teeth just feel weird like there is pressure on them (which there is) I am going to head to Tesco in a bit and stock up on all foods that I can eat right and cry at the foods I can't.


GIVEAWAY WINNER!
My new years giveaway is now closed and the winner is.....


NADIN Life With Nadin! I will be E-mailing you shortly to get some information! Congratulations Nadin! 
Thank you to everyone else who entered, there is always next time! 


On another note, I am selling a pink and white Flip Video video camera for £50 (RRP £100) If anyone is interested please comment below or email me at lovecharxo@gmail.com for more infromation!


XO

Those Shoes!

If you follow me on twitter and read this tweet you may know that recently I found an ideal pair of shoes. There is a rather coincidental story behind these shoes actually. I was out shopping with my best friend last week and we got on to the topic of shoes, this alone made me pine for a new pair of shoes. We were discussing potential shoe choices and out of the blue I said "I might just get a leopard print pair". That was it, my mind was busy sketching away, creating my ideal shoe and off I went searching high and low, in a number of shops with my best friend searching for this shoe I had created in my head! No luck in stores so when I got home I hit the online websites, still no luck. I was about to give up when I decided to look on boohoo.com. There they were in all their leopard print glory and on sale, in my size. It had to be, it was meant to be. I saved them to my favourites and waited patiently for pay day to roll round. They were still there on pay day and now they are in my possession!


Enough chat, here they are!

Now I know a lot of people will be looking at these shoes, my boyfriend Matt included, and will think these shoes are horrible. Matt would probably say they look like stripper shoes or something (love you Matt!) However I actually really like them. I think teaming them with the right outfit they will look great, a nice statement shoe. I was thinking a nice LBD or dark jeans which I am yet to try out. Anyway, my entire 'going out' shoe collection is mainly made up of black shoes so its nice to have some variety. Not to mention they were on sale for only £25 down from £35, had to be done. I'm weak when it comes to shoes!
XO 

How Much Does Your Face Cost?

Evening!Today's TAG post comes from Zara who tagged me in her version of this tag earlier on today. When I first red the title I was a bit like "this sounds like an interesting post!" The concept of this post is to add up the cost of the products you use on your face every day and the result will tell you how much your face costs! I currently have a few websites open ti try and give accurate costs..So here we go!

Primer: MeMeMe seventh heaven - £13
Foundation: Rimmel London match perfection gel foundation - £6.99
Concealer: Clinique anti blemish - £16
Setting Powder: Rimmel London match perfection powder - £8.99
Shine Control Powder: Rimmel London - £3.99
Blush: Vivo baked blush "Peaches & Cream" - £4
Mascara: NYC HD - £3.99
Lip Balm: Marks & Spencer Formular balm - £3
Setting Spray: Urban Decay De Slick - £19

In Total My Face Costs Me: £78.96. I would never have realised that I was putting nearly £80 worth of products on my face every day. If I included lip products and eyeshadows I wear when I get the chance it would be in the £100 level!

I am passing this on to every single one of you because it is such a fun blog post to do and I'm quite curious to see how much your face is worth! Consider yourself TAGGED!
New Year's giveaway is open until Tuesday, get entering if you are feeling lucky!
XO

Cute Blog Award!

I have received yet another blog award from the ever so lovely Claire over at XxDollyBlossom! I am very pleased to have been given another award, thank you ever so much Claire!  

For this award you:

1. Link back to the person who awarded you.

2. Answer the award questions. 

3. Tell something about yourself that you haven't told anyone on your blog yet. 

4. Award as many blogs as you think worthy of this award

5. Make sure to let these you gave this award to know that you awarded them. 

The Award Questions:

1. What is your go to make-up brand?

Rimmel London, cheapish high street brand!

2. What was your favourite fashion trend of 2011?

The wine coloured jeans

3. What is your favourite dessert?

Chocolate cake!

4. Favourite colour?

It is pink, typical girl answer haha

5. What is your middle name?

Jessica, I'd kind of like that to be my first name but oh well.

6. What's the last song you listened to?

Back To December - Taylor Swift

7. Cats or dogs?

At home we have 2 cats and a dog but Jasper is my favourite so dogs!

Something you didn't know.

I drink chocolate milkshake every single night, if I don't I will feel really hungry during the night. weird.

I pass this award onto..

I was thinking, I wish I could give this award to all of my followers so you know what, that is exactly what I am going to do. Obviously I can't tag in all 100+ of you so if you, yes you, are reading this right now, this award is for you because you all have cute blogs and you all deserve it! 

XO

Top 5 Series: Brushes!

As promised last week, a little bit later tonight than planned, my first part of my new Top 5 Series. Today I will be talking brushes! I have picked my 5 favourite brushes from my collection, 4 out of five are face brushes but I don't wear eye colour too much so don't judge!

1) Sigma F50 Duo Fibre Brush
The best and only stippling brush I will ever use. It holds liquid and gel foundations so well and gives such a great 'air brushed' finish that can not be created using a normal foundation brush! This brush cleans up so quickly and easily too which is a bonus when you need to deep clean, no staining to the white part at all!

2) ELF Powder Brush
This isn't what I would typically class as a standard powder brush, more of a flat topped powder brush because, well, it has a flat top (clever Char!) After I have done my foundation I use this brush to apply a setting power. This is a great brush to use because you can buff the powder in a circular motion, the brush is so sturdy that it can also blend in any foundation that hasn't been blended so far.

3) ELF Eyeshadow Brush
This brush is from ELF's £1.50 line and for a brush that cheap it works really well! It really packs on the colour no matter what products you use so you don't have to keep applying numerous times to get a nice colour payback. It's a really soft brush as well which, at first, I didn't really expect from a brush this cheap. It's a bargain! 

4) Sigma F30 Large Powder Brush
I love this brush! I use this to apply a shine control powder. The brush is so huge and fluffy it gives a really light coverage so I don't feel like I've packed on the powder and it never leaves my make up looking cakey. I really recommend that everyone owns a large powder brush, as opposed to the smaller powder brush.

5) Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour Brush
This is a perfectly shaped brush. The slight angle to it means it gives the perfect shape when applying blush. The brush takes product well and only required two strokes to apply properly. One downside is the white colour does stain a bit from multiple use, still I can live with that!






I hope you enjoyed this first part of the Top 5 Series! 
Don't forget my New Year's Giveaway finishes on the 17th January so still plenty of time to ENTER! 
XO