MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer

Hello everyone!

Now this lip lacquer from the lovely MUA is something that has been sitting in my lip product collection for some time now, and I've been meaning to review it ever since I first tried it. I'm having a slight love affair with liquid lipsticks and lip lacquers at the moment, and out of all the ones I've tried (and believe me, I've tried a lot!!) this one definitely has to be the most pigmented.

Now I know this isn't the most summery colour out there, but with the weather we've been having lately, I'm already fully embracing autumn; and during autumn my go-to shade is a deep plum purple. With all the rain these last few days, I've automatically found myself reaching for this lip lacquer and that is what reminded me to write this post. 

The lasting power of this is next to none. It is like a thick liquid lipstick crossed with a lip stain, and it is actually hard to get off at the end of the day. With most lip products I find myself re-applying throughout the day, but with this, I actually struggle to remove it before bed even during my makeup removing/cleansing routine. I currently have a deep purple mark on the back of my hand from taking that swatch! 

This can be both a good and bad thing. I love my lip products to last, but at the same time I don't want to be scrubbing my lips on a night trying to remove my lip colour. However the colour itself is so beautiful that you could happily just leave it on to stain your lips forever. 

Overall, I love this lip lacquer. It has a beautiful thick consistency, is super pigmented and would probably last on your lips for the rest of you life! It only cost a couple of pounds too which is amazing. 

I'm so glad I finally got round to talking about this, and I can see it becoming a handbag staple for me over the coming months. 

Thank you all for reading, and please comment below with any other lip lacquers you think I would love. 

Love to you all x 

2016 Goals

Hello everyone!

Ok, so I know I'm a tad late to the party, but I really wanted to share with you my goals for the year to come...

2015 was such a bag of mixed emotions for me. On one hand I got to do so many amazing things. Moved into my first house with the other half, and we also got to go on our first real holiday together. I finally got a new car and met some truly amazing people within the blogging community. I feel like my blog has come along leaps and bounds and starting it is one of the best things I've ever done. However I also got diagnosed with a form of rheumatoid arthritis which has been a bit difficult to come to terms with at just 24 years old, I never managed to clear my debts like I planned, and I seem to have lost touch with loads of people who at one time meant the world to me.

However, 2016 seems like a blank slate right now, and all I want to do is leave all the negativity behind and make these next 12 month as amazing as possible. Here are the things I want to achieve in the year ahead:

1. Expand my blog. I've been thinking about branching out into more fashion and lifestyle posts. I want my little blog to reflect me and my life, not just be about beauty (although it is my favorite thing to write about!). I have so much love for fashion, travel, cooking, art and poetry and I want to start to introduce these into my blog more.

2. Get healthy. This isn't the typical join the gym and lose weight promise that so many of us make in January. My health has been so up and down lately, and I feel that with my arthritis, eczema and asthma, my body has been struggling with all the medication. I want to start yoga and introduce more natural foods into my diet.

3. Travel. I only got my first passport 10 months ago and after visiting the Canary Islands with the other half, I've caught the travel bug. I want to see more places and make memories. Experience different cultures and see as much as possible.

4. Write more. I don't just mean on my blog either. As much as I want to massively increase the amount I post on here, I also want to get back into all the other forms of writing I love, like poetry. I would also like to try my hand at writing a short story or an ebook.

5. Set a date. I would love to be able to set the official date for my wedding! We have been engaged a while now and I'm so excited to get married. Hopefully in the summer of 2017 :)

So this is what I hope to achieve this year. Wish me luck!

What goals have you all set for yourself this year?

Love to you all x

Christmas Wishlist

Hello :)

I've been meaning to get back into blogging for ages now (yes, I know I keep saying that) and I've been getting so excited reading everyone's Christmas posts that I've decided to get back into things with a good old fashioned Christmas wishlist post!

There are so many amazing products out there that I'm lusting after, so I should have no problem putting this list together. I do just want to point out that I'm not greedy, and Christmas isn't all about the presents for me. But come on, who doesn't love thinking of all the lovely things they'd like to unwrap on Christmas morning.

1. Sleek Solstice Highlighting Kit: I'm sorry, but is this sleek highlighting kit not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? Plus, at just £10 you don't have to feel guilty asking for it! View this here.

2. Brown Structured Tote Bag - New Look: I have a slight bag addiction at the moment. I don't always like to spend too much on bags because I'm clumsy and heavy handed so tend to mark, scratch or stain them. This beautiful day bag from New Look is perfect with any day outfit, and I do love neutral colours. All for £29.99. View this here.

3. NARS foundation: This is one of my all time favorite foundations. I don't like to splash out on expensive make up all the time, so foundations like this one at £32 is one that I like to keep for a special occasion. Because of that, I can make one bottle last almost a year, and that makes it worth every penny in my book. I believe its nice to have a special occasion foundation for nights out. I'd love another bottle of this for Christmas :) Find it here.

4. Dune Black Suede Ankle Boots from ASOS: Now I know that at £79 these are a tad on the pricey side. However I have always been a lover of heels. The higher the better. But a recent diagnosis of early onset rheumatoid arthritis means my ankles can no longer handle the pressure of heels. I've found it so hard to find a collection of flat shoes that I like, however these would go with so many things, and are the first flat shoes in a long time to get me excited. Find them here.

5. Paisley Print Shirt Dress from Boohoo: I am having a massive love affair with shirt dresses at the moment. My new need for flat shoes has found me teaming shirt dresses with black tights and boots and it is a look that I feel comfortable with. This paisley print dress from Boohoo is a bargain at £20, and manages to bring a splash of colour into a classic style. Love it! Find it here.



So that is my Christmas list for this year. What do you all think?

I'd love to know what you all are wishing for this year :) Feel free to leave your comments and links below!

Love to you all x

A bit of a catch up....

Hello everyone!

First of all, I just want to start by saying sorry for my very lengthy absence. I don't even know what made me stop blogging for such a long time, but it really does feel good to be back at the laptop writing this.

There has been so many amazing products that I've been using over the last few months and over the next couple of weeks I will be writing up review posts on them, so keep an eye on this space for that! Along with that I have a couple of wish list posts that I want to share with you all, and I'm sure we will be seeing more than a couple of Christmas posts popping up throughout the blog world.

Along with some product reviews and fashion and makeup wish list posts, I'm wanting to try and expand my blog by branching into the world of lifestyle posts. I'm loving life right now, and am honestly the happiest I've ever been. I have so many amazing things planned for the future and am excited to share all that with you wonderful readers.

If any of you have any post suggestions for me, all ideas are welcome! I've been out of touch with the blogging world for nearly 6 months so you might have to be a bit patient with me while I re-work out a schedule to fit in with work and personal commitments. How some of you bloggers post several times a week while keeping up with full time work or study is amazing and I'd love it if you could share your tips with me!

That's all for now, but I can't wait to share my posts with you all, and feel free to comment links for me to check out :)

Love to you all x

End of January Wishlist

Hello everyone!

Are you all as happy as I am that the weekend is here?! I'm not doing much, but still, it hits Friday night and you just seem to relax and let your mind wonder a bit more than you do in the week. In the theme of letting your mind wander, today I have a little wishlist post for you! There are so many things that I want right now and I could easily spend a fortune, but I've told myself no, and instead had to narrow it down to 6 things (was supposed to be 5 but I couldn't get that far... Oops!).

1. New Look Contrast Collar Tea Dress - £22.99

I don't own many things from New Look, but when I saw this on the ASOS website I loved it. So simple, yet elegant with the detailing in the collar. The cut looks like it would be flattering on my body shape too, so I think its a bargain at £22.99. 

2. ASOS Parish High Heels - £45 

I noticed the other day that most of my heels are black or bright colours, so I wanted something to fill the gap.... Smart, but not all black. I think these look a tad more sophisticated than most of the heels I own, so I would probably wear them more. That's the plan anyway, I just think they're lovely! 

3. Topshop Turnlock Satchel - £28 

To be honest, I don't own many things from Topshop either. I used to like their shoes and bags but then seemed to drift away from them. In terms of clothing the only items I own from there are a couple of pairs of jeans. I just think this satchel looks so unbelievably sweet! I'm also loving the pastel colour for spring! 

4. Illamasqua Concealer - (RRP £13) £5 in the Sale! 

I absolutely love Illamasqua makeup. Mainly their foundation and concealer. I've used this before and loved it, but can't always afford to spend £13 on a concealer, but for £5 in the Sale, count me in! The other night I may have made a sneaky purchase of their cream foundation too... 

5. MUA Undress Me Too Palette - £4

I bought my first MUA palette earlier this week, and am absolutely in love with it! I just can't believe the quality you get for only £4! I bought the Undressed palette and so am already looking forward to trying the Undress Me Too palette as soon as possible. Such great pigmentation and a lovely variations of shades. 

6. Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser - £7.99

I've read so many reviews on this product, and although opinions tend to be mixed, I still want to give it a go for myself anyway. I never really jumped on the Baby Lips bandwagon, but this looks like it's more up my street. I love a good primer, and have been using the Porefessional for a while now. It's about to run out, so I'm looking for an alternative (and if it's a cheaper alternative that would be a bonus) to try, and I think this might be it! 

So that's my current thinned down wishlist! What are you all lusting after at the minute? 

Thank you for reading, and comments are always loved and appreciated :)

Love to you all x

Christmas 2013

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, filled with food, family and presents :)

Sorry for the lack of posts recently... it's been majorly hectic over the holidays and I haven't had a moment to myself to get on the laptop and write. I now have a free night before New Years Eve to sit and catch up with all things blog related!

Firstly tonight, I wanted to do a quick Christmas post. I have been so lucky this year, and feel so privileged to have the most amazing family and friends. Here are a few pics of our day...

Sorry about the quality of the pics, I may have had a bit too much wine with dinner and the pics I took got progressively more blurry as the day went on! But over all I had a lovely day, and am planning to do a few review posts over the next couple of weeks of a few of the things I got (book/outfit/make up posts), so I promise the pics in them posts will be a lot better! 

Thank you for reading, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and I would love to know how all of you spent your day? 

Comments always appreciated! 

Love to you all x

Christmas Outfit

Hello everyone!!

Aahhhh Christmas is almost here! Are you all as excited as I am?

I know the last post for #TheWnterProject is an OOTD post, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do the post on Christmas eve, and I've had a load of issues with scheduling posts, so I thought I would show you all now the outfit I'm going to wear on Christmas day. It's a new dress that I chose and my parents ordered for me from asos.com. I will show both the picture and the link below.

I'm planning to wear it with heeled black ankle boots and a statement bracelet. I will post pics if I can get them after Christmas, but at the min I don't have a camera and am hoping to get one from the other half as my Christmas present. Hope you like, and I'm sorry I won't be able to do the final post for the winter project. Have loved doing every moment of it, and will post a round up post after Christmas!

(Link here)

Merry Christmas!! 

Love to you all x

The Winter Project #5: Christmas Accessories

Hello everyone! Firstly I would like to start by saying sorry for my lack of posts recently, and I am gutted that I missed last weeks post for #thewinterproject! Was down in Berkshire for my friends wedding and forgot my laptop, then was really ill when I came home and just looking at the computer screen was making me feel dizzy! Am getting better now though, so am happy to be back!!

This weeks post for the winter project is all about favorite Christmas accessories. This should be a fun one, as I LOVE accessories in winter. Christmas is also a good time to wear novelty things that look really cute but that you couldn't get away with at any other time of year. People are in a good mood and everyone is all for having a bit of fun. Here are the accessories I'm loving at the moment for the festive season. The bolder the print and the more glitter the better I say! So bring on festive hats, gold and glittery clutch bags, and socks that would make you cringe at any other time of year :) ......

So there we go, a lot of red patterns and gold accessories for the festive season. Thank you for reading and cant wait to read everyone's posts!! All comments are, as always, appreciated! 

Love to you all x

Sunshine Award!

Hello everyone :)

I am so excited to have been nominated for a Sunshine Award from the amazing Lindsey over at whimsical allure and I can't wait to get on and do this post. It's always lovely to hear that people actually like to read your blog, so thank you Lindsey!

Rules: 

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself
2. Answer 11 facts from the nominating blogger
3. Nominate 11 lovely bloggers who you feel bring sunshine to the world of blogging, and notify them!
4. Write 11 questions for those you nominated

Also, don't forget to acknowledge the nominating blogger :)

So here we go then....

11 Facts about me: 

1. I like to study and learn new things, and am actually a little bit of a geek.

2. It has always been my ambition to run a marathon. 

3. I love to paint. 

4. I'm a little bit addicted to salt and vinegar crisps.

5. I have an obsession with candles and my house in full of them. 

6. I moved from London to live in a tiny little village in Yorkshire. 

7. I love my family more than anything in the world. 

8. I've always wanted a Pug, and if I got one I'd call him Wilson. 

9. I have Vogue on subscription, have every issue stacked up from the last 6 years, and even have a copy of the June 1991 edition (the year and month I was born). 

10. I have my own special mug to have my coffee in every morning. 

11. I seem to get ill or injured a lot, and I mean a lot. Good job my sister pretty much runs York Hospital!

Her Questions For Me:

1. What is your favorite book?

     The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde 

2. What’s the one beauty item you cannot do without

     I'd have to say mascara. Even if I don't bother too much with makeup, I don't feel comfortable without mascara on. 

3. Tea or Coffee?
Coffee.. I can't function without my coffee in a morning!

4. What is your favorite season?
Probably Spring. I love seeing all the colour and pretty patterns come out after winter.

5. If you could tell your 18 year old self something, what would it be? 
Relax and enjoy being 18, don't worry about the future cause it sorts itself out :) 

6.What is your dream vacation destination? 
I'd love to go to America and travel round, or go to Italy. I have Hawaii in mind for my honeymoon.

7. What is your favorite online shop? 

Ahhhh this is a hard one! I love ASOS, they seem to have everything, but ill have to go with feelunique.com

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Honestly, I'm pretty happy where I am! 

9. It's Christmas time, do you prefer eggnog or hot cocoa? 

Hot cocoa all the way.. with marshmallows <3 

10. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? 
I did pretty well at school and while I was there had some philosophy articles published in journals, I am very proud of that, but honestly, I'm bad with money, so saving enough for my own place with my other half is something I'm really proud of too. 

11. What is your guilty pleasure?  

Probably drinking more wine than I should while listening to cheesey music :P shh.... don't tell! 

Now I Nominate: 

one stop savvy
mia brielle
kittens in top hats
makeup by candle light
the agoraphobic fashionista
cosmetic smile-x.
bethany worrall
beautrina

rosy blossom
beauty book blog
cant buy me lovvve

My Questions: 

1. Who is your favorite band/singer?
2. What 3 things would you take with you on a desert island?
3. What would your dream job be?
4. If you could have one magical power, what would it be?
5. What is your fondest memory?

6. You're given £1,000 to go shopping, what do you buy first?
7. Do you have any hidden talents?
8. What is/was your favorite subject at school?

9. What is your most annoying/worst habit? 

10. What is your favorite thing to eat?
11. What is your favorite thing about blogging? 

So there we go, that's me finished :) thank you again to Lindsey for nominating me (link to her wonderful blog here). I've loved answering the questions, and to those I've nominated, let me know when you've done posts so I can have a look. Love all your blogs, they're brilliant and you should all be proud :) 

Thank you for reading! 

Love to you all x

Christmas Wishlist...

Hello my lovelies :) 

I've been in a very Christmassy mood today, probably because of the freezing weather, so I thought I'd do a Christmas wishlist post. I love reading people's wishlists, so if anyone wants to link me any in the comments I'd love to read them! 

Firstly we have a Magic Wand Bubble Bar from Lush. I think Lush do lovely products, especially at Christmas, and this wand looks so pretty! I really like the idea of being able to wave it around in the bath to create lots of lovely smelling bubbles. 

Secondly, we have the Nars Up To The Moon Palette. Love the nudes and wintery shades of this, and it has been a long time since I last had a Nars palette. My old one ran out about 6 months ago, and I've been tempted to replace it ever since. Though I've been a good girl and waited for Santa to bring me one.

The Third item on my list is the one I'm most excited to try. If I don't get it for Christmas then I may have to buy it for my self in the new year. Its a Nails Inc polish diary, and it comes with 12 shades which are supposed to be perfect for the 12 months in the year. I wouldn't be disciplined enough to wait a month before trying the next shade, but it does look like it has a good mix of colours, including nudes, brights and glitters, so I feel its a good investment (it's around £50 but that's for 12 nail polishes!). 

We then have the Woodland Splodge Scarf from Topshop. I know I featured a Topshop scarf in my post for the winter project, but yesterday I spotted this one, and it got added to the list. I told you I have a scarf addiction! 

I had to add Chanel Chance, which I have already said is my favorite perfume. It smells amazing, really light and fresh, and its the only perfume I wear on a regular basis. I still have some of mine left, but Christmas seems to be the best time to stock up on your favorite perfumes as a lot of shops seem to do special deals and gift sets. 

The shoes are from ASOS, and although they aren't the most practical thing for winter, I just can't resist a nice pair of heels! Plus, it's kind of become a tradition for me to ask for a pair of shoes for Christmas that I want to wear out on new years eve. These classic black and gold ones are perfect for the party season and would go well with pretty much any outfit. 

Another one I'm excited about on this list is the Oasis tote bag. I honestly don't have many bags, and only 2 decent sized ones (most are little clutches). I love the complimentary cream and brown together with the bold blocks of red at the sides. Would be great for me to hoard hand creams and lipsticks in too........

Lastly, we have another treat from Lush.... The Christmas Penguins! I saw these online and just thought they were unbelievably cute! Haven't seen them in the store yet, although I'm sure they will smell amazing... most things from Lush tend to! 

Well there we go, that is my finished and final Christmas Wishlist! What do you all have on your Christmas list? Comments always welcomed, and thank you for reading :)

Love to you all x

The Winter Project #2 - Winter Accessories

Hello my lovelies, hope everyone is well and keeping warm!

So its come round to the second week of #thewinterproject, and today is all about favorite winter accessories! :)

What I thought I'd do with this post, is show you the accessories I'm loving at the moment as kind of a wishlist post. I'm going Christmas shopping tomorrow, and these are the things I might treat myself to :)

1. Topshop Net Bow Headband: £10

I love headbands for winter. I've always been a bit of a hat lover when it comes to winter, but this season, I'm wanting to buy a couple of headbands instead, as I think they add something a bit different to a winter outfit. This one is simple yet has some lovely elegant detail with the lace bow, and is a bargain at only £10! 

2. River Island Brown Floral Print Scarf: £18

I have to admit something to you. I am a bit of a scarf hoarder! I think I now have around 20, and the list seems to grow almost weekly in winter. I love them, and most of them are printed scarves rather than woolly ones. I think you can brighten up any outfit with them, so when I'm stuck for what to wear, I throw on a plain black dress and add a bright scarf. I saw this the other day when browsing online, and loved the unusual pattern. 

3. Warehouse Quilted Leather Gloves from Asos.com: £26

I actually treated myself to these last night when looking online! Oops! I have bought several pairs of pretty knitted gloves in the past, all with lovely designs, but I play with my hands a lot, and am always picking things up and fiddling, and knitted gloves seem to wear out really quickly. Last year I bought some leather ones, and they lasted all winter without a problem. When I saw these quilted leather effect ones, I thought they looked classic, and will keep my hands nice and warm at the same time! Might even dedicate a  post to them when they arrive :)  

4. Hunter Wellies: Price Varies

The one thing I just could not live without in winter is my wellies. I have chocolate brown Hunters at the moment, and to say that I love them would be an understatement. For Christmas, I have asked for another pair, seeing as I get so much wear out of them! These classic pillar box red ones are what I have decided on, although there are so many to choose from that I may change my mind! 

5. Hunter Socks: Price Varies 

Finally, to go with my beloved brown Hunters, I have decided that I need some of these lovely cable knit Hunter socks. The winters get very cold here in Yorkshire and I'm hoping these cute little things help! I think they are around £30 from Hunters website, but you can shop around to find them cheaper. 

So there we are! My top 5 wishlist picks for winter accessories! Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! All comments, links, and opinions are always welcomed...

I am already looking forward to the next #thewinterproject post next Tuesday :) 

Love to you all x

MUA Eyeshadow Review...

Hello everyone :)

Today I'm doing a review of this MUA eye shadow trio I picked up. Well, to be honest, I only nipped to Superdrug to pick up another bottle of Barry M nail polish ready for the start of #TheWinterProject tomorrow (its a fave colour of mine and I ran out 2 weeks ago), but then my eye caught this and I had to buy it!

(MUA eye shadow trio in theatrics, and Barry M nail polish in Raspberry) 

(top pic in natural light, bottom pic in warm light) 

The first thing that caught my attention was the look of it!! It's so pretty, especially the black and gold one. I've tried a few MUA products before, and liked the couple of single eye shadows I bought a few months ago, so for £2.50, I knew I had to give it a go. 

MUA is amazing value for money, and I can honestly say I'd happily pay triple what I paid for this. The colours are very highly pigmented, they have a nice creamy texture, and the pot comes with a mini applicator, which I wouldn't use at home, but is ideal for a quick top up when you're out and about and don't have your makeup brushes. 

All of these shades have a shimmery glow to them (as there is gold pigment in all 3 colours) and are perfect for the up coming party season. I used the black one to put a modern twist to the smokey eye! They are versatile, a brilliant texture, and VERY pretty colours. 

The only downside I have is that the packaging feels a tad cheap, but then again, it was cheap, so it doesn't bother me too much. I just hope the catch that holds the lid down doesn't break and cover the contents of my make up bag in eye shadow!

Here are swatches of all 3 colours, taken in natural light.....

A beautiful, seasonal bargain.

My rating.... 

MUA eye shadow trio in Theatrics: 4 Stars!! 

The post on the nail polish will be up tomorrow, and as always, all comments are welcome! 

Love to you all x

Just a little intro......

Hello there everyone!

Right, so I thought I'd start with just a quick little introduction to get things started.... So here goes....

First of all, my names Amy, and I am in LOVE with all things fashion, beauty and make up related. I've been known to dabble in a bit of freelance fashion writing (which I can honestly say is one of the best jobs ever!) and I am now doing my level 3 in beauty therapy.

I started this blog as I spend most of my time either reading about, or trying, new beauty products, make up trends, nail art, hair styles or clothes, and I just figured, why not write about all this too. In a way, I guess it's also kind of a way for me to justify the sheer amount of time I spend doing all of the above.

Whatever products or styles you are into, I promise to try and get everything that I can covered here, and if I have to go shopping for products more often, just to write about them on here... well... that's just the way it has to be (and I wont secretly love it at all, honestly!).

That's pretty much it then,

Lets get down to business :)

Love to you all x