What's In My (Zara) Bag?

I am a sucker for 'What's In My Bag' posts mostly because I love bags and am a little bit nosy.. I haven't done one of these posts since last year so why not do another one!? The bag I am carrying right now was another Christmas present, its the Zara 'shopper basket bag' which is £39.99. Its quite a big bag but I actually find it really handy because its so big things are spaced out so I can find things like keys and my phone and purse really easily. 

In the little side pocket I keep my diary, which I am actually using this year, a hair band, MACs Hey Sailor lip balm, a pen and an Itunes gift card that I got for Christmas from my uncle. 

In the main section of the bag I have my Tory Burch sunglasses, tissues, my college ID card, some 90% chocolate that my boyfriend bought and left in there to be taken to his house, gloves which are an essential at this time of the year! Tissues for those sniffles, Josh's spare car key and my 'Essential things' bag, separate post on that maybe?

Of course no 'What's In My Bag' post is complete without the essentials, my Ted Baker purse as purchased by my lovely boyfriend, my Iphone and my car keys (see what's in my car right here)

 oh, and a whole load of receipts, some anti inflammatory tablets that made me ill and the shoulder strap that comes with the bag that I haven't actually used.. 
so that is what is, or was in the case of all those receipts, in my Zara shopper bag! If you have done a 'What's In My Bag' post or are going to do one, let me know, I want to read them!

   

Benefit Erase Paste!

I'm slightly out of breath after finally catching up to the rest of the beauty world on the search for the best and most effective beauty products, Santa helped me get one step closer by popping this little beauty under the tree. 
Benefit's erase paste is the equivalent to a girls best friend. It has quickly become my holy grail concealer for many reasons. Firstly, the cream like consistency of the paste ensures that, when applied properly, it sinks into the skin and covers any under eye lines without exaggerating them for the world. Not only does the product claim to camouflage dark circles and imperfections, debatable, it also contains a brightening element which instantly makes me look and feel more awake then I actually am. Benefit are also kind enough to include a 'how to' guide for getting a bit of extra know how on applying the concealer correctly as well as a spatula for easy application, however mine is in the bin. To apply the concealer I use my sigma F concealer brush to apply to the skin and then blend it in using the tip of my ring finger. Like with all benefit products erase paste is encased in cute packaging in the form of a pink plastic pot with enough product to last you a lifetime. 
My only downfall with the erase paste is its claim to camouflage dark circles. My dark circles aren't massive but they are there and Camouflage to me normally means 'to disappear  however I feel that it doesn't completely cover them unless you are on of those people who wears an inch of make up on a daily basis. To maintain the natural look I'd say you have to settle for it only reducing them and not covering them. 
All in all I am very impressed with the new addition to my collection and would recommend it to anyone who is late with the trends, like me, or is just starting out and is looking for a good quality high end product to add to their collection.
Retailing at £19.50, erase paste is available from benefit counters across debenhams, boots, house of Fraser and online. 

They're Real, Honest!

I recieved Benefit's 'They're Real' mascara for Christmas from my dad after putting it on my Christmas list, thanks to you lovely bloggers and your fabulous reviews of it. After reading so many positive posts on the mascara I was tempted into trying it out for myself. 
To say I love this product is a massive understatement... 'They're Real' blows all of my other favourite mascaras out of the water and sends them flying a million miles away. One coat of the mascara (seen in the picture on the left) gives my lashes a decent amount of length which really helps to open up my eyes and make me look more awake. The 'fake lash' effect is present in the lashes without making you look like your lashes are so heavy you can't open your eyes, personally that is a look I like to steer clear of. Another thing I love about this mascara is the brush, it has my favourite kind of bristles. The plastic-y, microfibre type bristles help to separate the lashes as you apply plus it has a small ball of bristles on the tip to allow you to get right into the corners without ending up with smudges anywhere unwanted. On those occasions that you forget to take your make up off, don't deny it you all do it sometimes, you can wake up in the morning without panda eyes and with your lashes looking as perfect as they did the night before. 
At £18.50 this may seem a little steep but for a mascara that promises not to smudge, dry out and last a super long time it seems so worth it! Once mine runs out I will be repurchasing immediately. 

Taylor swift Wonderstruck!

Taylor Swift released her first fragrance 'Wonderstruck' during last year, first in the US and then in the UK later on. Now I am going to state right now that although I am a huge Taylor Swift fan this is in no way a biased review! At first glance the bottle alone has a hint of Britney Spears' 'Midnight Fantasy' about it however the adorable charm and well detailed lid just screams Taylor and fits with her kitsch style perfectly. I was a little sceptical about how nice this would smell as a lot of 'celebrity' perfumes tend to smell very watered down and bland. Wonderstruck has a massive range of scents included in the perfume, ranging from floral smells, an abundance of sweet and fruity things and also a slight muskiness to it, Taylor has clearly ticked every box for the perfect perfume requirements. This has one of the nicest scents I've smelt and love to wear it, I think this is going to make an amazing summery scent. 
When Enchanted Wonderstruck hits the UK shops I will definitely be trying it out to see how it compares to the original. 
'Wonderstruck' is available from Boots, Perfume Shop and Superdrug nationwide ranging from £19.50 - £37.50.

  

Kate Moss by Rimmel - Shade 101!

(Excuse the braces showing)

I included this lipstick in my best of 2012 beauty favourites and a lot of you seemed to love it and want some more information and swatches so I thought I'd dedicate a whole post to it. Like I said in the favourites post it is the most perfect pale pink lipstick to create a natural look. It has a matte texture which applies smoothly and glides over any cracks in the lips instead of highlighting them. I did think that it would dry my lips out a little but with a bit of gloss over the top it works perfectly to prevent that happening. If I wore make up everyday I would definitely make this lipstick my staple colour choice. One thing I'm not a massive fan of is the smell, I can't really explain what it smells like.. Sort of sweet but not a nice sweet more of a play-dough kind of sweet. At £5.49 these are a little more expensive than the normal Rimmel London lipstick line but you get what you pay for with the better quality of the Kate lipsticks. I hope those of you that were interested in the lipstick rush off to your local superdrug or boots and snap it up! 

A Little Snip!

 If you follow me on instagram you may have seen the above picture with the caption "Change is coming #hair" underneath it. Change and its scissored hands came and have made a big difference to my hair. I have had long hair for the last, nearly 10 years so it was about time for a different style. My boyfriend managed to put the idea of going short in my head and, after a lot of deliberation, today was the day I took myself to the hairdressers and got it cut. I hate it when some beauty gurus get their hair "cut" and post a picture of themselves with the exact same haircut that's like an inch shorter with a few more layers. When I say cut, I mean.. 

This isn't going to be my final style but I was advised to have a "middle" phase so I could get used to not having all my hair. It was very strange watching him lop off a whole 6 inches of my hair and it just sprawled on the floor like a blanket! Its a little strange running my fingers through my hair and it stopping suddenly as opposed to 4 miles down my back.

The Best of 2012: Beauty!

1. Favourite FACE product
My favourite and most used face product of 2012 has got ot be Urban Decay's De Slick. It is the perfect way to set and secure your full face of make up all day whilst keeping that horrible oil patch at bay! Plus it lasts FOREVER. I am only just on my second bottle.
2. Favourite CHEEK product
The 'Peaches & Cream' blush by Vivo has been featured in many a blog post over this year. It is the most perfect peachy pink shade for my skin tone. For only £4 from Tesco it is amazing. Go buy it and make it your 2013 favourite! (I realise the picure is numbered wrong, damnit!) 
3. Favourite EYE product
So Naked or Naked 2 are probably going to be everyone's favourite eye product this year. I am a massive fan of the neutral brown eye look so Naked 2 is literally so perfect for me. You can create so many different looks with all the combinations of shades in the pallet. 4. Favourite LIP product
I cheated and picked two. Firstly is the EOS lip balm in passion fruit. I love how super moisturising this balm is, one use keeps your lips smooth for a good few days after, plus it smells yummy! The second pick is a Kate Moss by Rimmel London lipstick. Its the most perfect pale pink lipstick shade that creates a lovely natural lip. 

5. Favourite SKINCARE product
I suffer from acne so products containing tea tree and witch hazel are perfect so of course when I found the boots tea tree and witch hazel products in boots I snapped them up. I have loved how they have cleared my skin nicely. The night treatment gel is my favourite of the line. When I put this on I feel like I've got a little protective film over my skin all night.
6. Favourite HAIR product
Garnier's bamboo flexihold hairspray is the best hairspray I've ever used. It brushes straight out and leaves your hair in the same condition it was in before you sprayed it, none of that dodgy hairspray residue!
7. Favourite BODY product or PERFUME
My ever so lovely boyfriend bought me this PINK with a splash body spray in 'Sweet and Flirty' and I absolutely adore it. I wore it pretty much every single day since I got it. I can already tell you that my favourite perfume of 2013 is going to be Victoria's Secret's 'Angel' it is so nice! 
8. Favourite NAIL product/polish
I forgot to picture this but its Models Own 'Ibiza Mix' featured here. Its sparkly, I love sparkle.

The Best of 2012: Fashion!

1. Favourite Clothing Piece.
Something I have been wearing more often then not this year has to be Victoria's Secret PINK yoga pants in legging form. They are the most amazingly comfortable and highly flattering leggings I have ever owned. I love my boyfriend for purchasing both of the pairs I own! You the best! 
2. Favourite Accessory.
I know this should probably be like a bag or jewellery but I am picking my Iphone 4s. After getting it from Josh for a highly discounted girlfriend price. It is honestly the most useful phone in the world for keeping track of blogs, emails, social networks and instagram of course! Plus I can talk to Josh for free with Imessage.
3. Favourite Shoes.
I wore these Lita's to absolute death when I got them for my Birthday. For a healed shoe they are so comfortable! I know I'm not the only blogger that liked these, I'm pretty sure everyone loves these shoes. 

CNL: A List!

A quick pre-work blog from me today in the form of a Current Nail Look! I am currently wearing Essie's 'A List' which is the perfect, currently highly fashionable, burgundy colour as seen in every jumper, leggings, shoes and accessories across the high street. Personally, I love it.

Goodbye 2012..

Well, 2012 has been one of the weirdest years. 
The beginning of the year kicked off with nothing but bad experiences. I went through one of the worst and most prolonged break ups I've ever been through. Something I thought would happen and pass within a few weeks actually lasted around 3 months with threats of suicide, constant arguments and attempts to make me feel awful for simply falling out of love. After finally plucking up enough courage and making the decision to end the relationship, that I had been unhappy in, was hard enough without a bombardment of serious repercussions for a long time afterwards. Whilst this was all going on my world was completely rocked by the news of my parents splitting up, this is something that no child wants to hear no matter how old they are. Despite them deciding to go separate ways they both stayed unified in supporting me through my tough times. It took a while for me to come to terms with the situation but everything has worked out and things are nice and easy now. 
In April I celebrated my 19th Birthday with my close friends and family and got my first ever tattoo. This was the time when I decided enough was enough, time to be happy again.
In late May early June my life was turned the opposite of upside down, lets say, the right way up by my knight in shining armour. I met Josh at the end of 2011 over the Christmas period at work, he will tell you I was a bitch to him and gave him no indication I liked him but I thought he was hot. Anyway, skip forward to mid- May and we had our first date arranged, we saw each other every day before the actual date but it still happened. On the 3rd of June we made it official and I have been the happiest girl in the world ever since. I call him my knight in shining armour because he came along when me (the princess) was stuck in her super high tower of bad times, he rode up on his noble steed (An astra) whisked me away and completely rescued me from the worst times I've ever had. 
So, here's to saying goodbye to 2012 and leaving the bad experiences in the past. 
Here's to welcoming 2013 with open arms and hoping for the best years to date.
Thank you to all my closest friends, family, boyfriend, his family, and you guys for being here for me when I've needed the support or a shoulder to cry on. I love you all!
See you in 2013!