A letter to me, in a year

Dear Me,

Hi. How’s it going. So you’re 18 now. An adult. Oh dear… You’ve always been a procrastinator, but I hope more than anything at over the past year you actually got you shit together enough to pass your exams and go to university, Manchester ideally. Anyway, if you’re not reading this from your uni halls, WHAT HAPPENED?!

I hope you still talk to your friends and family often and see them as much as possible. I hope you’re proud of everything you’ve achieved over the last year and have got some sort of a functional romantic life together (probably not but I’m aiming high here)…

I hope you have few regrets and are just, HAPPY. I want more than anything for you to be happy. What’s you brother up to as well? Atm he has plans to next year possibly move home and do an access course. Did he make it? What about Heather?

Not much else really, just don’t give up and don’t dwell on the negatives.

Oh, btw Donald Trump has been elected this past week and was truly devastating. I hope he hasn’t been a total dick by the time you read this. Is he even still alive?

Yours truly, you.

TTFN x

Motivation

Everyone's been there. You're lacking any kind of motivation or inspiration to stick to something you REALLY want to achieve. Often, someone will tell you that if you lack motivation to do something you simply don't want it badly enough. True, if you want it badly you have to be prepared to put the work in to get there, however everyone needs reminders along the way that all the slogging will be worth it in the end. For me, the aim is university.

I am currently studying my A levels and am notorious for leaving any kind of revision till the last minute, which really isn't an option for me any more given my aspirational grades. So, whatever you're working towards, here are some of my fave quotes i've found over my time trekking through pinterest (incidentally probably when I should have been revising!) that have helped me remember that all the boring study hours will only ever help me get closer to my dream. I hope they can also be of use to you.

TTFN x

Current Favourites - 2/10/16

Hi! It's been a while... Here are my new faves and stuff I've been generally loving, enjoy!

Estée lauder double wear concealer

I ‘borrowed’ my friends one of these on holiday and loved it! It has incredible coverage, is long lasting and has a yellow undertone that matches my skin tone well. It’s lightweight and, although a little pricey, sits really nicely on the skin.

Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge

I bought this a couple of months back, following the massive hype around beauty blenders, and adore it! I use it primarily to blend in concealer but it just seems to do it really well without leaving it streaky or buffing it away. I also want to try spraying it with a bit of MAC Fix + and using it for foundation which works well for dry skin apparently. Alas though, I dropped it in my room at some point and I’m pretty sure it landed in the bin because I cannot find it anywhere. I’ll have to invest in another one.

Essie nail polish – In Stiches

I don’t have too much to say about this one to be honest! I love essie polish, its glossy, dries quickly and long lasting, not to mention its array of colours including this one which is a complete holy grail for me right now. It’s a lovely dark, pinkish, slightly browney nude that seems to go with everything and really complements my skin tone. LOVE!

Podcast: Serial series 1

On a slightly stranger note, I was on holiday last in Ireland month with my mum, brother, friend and sister in law. My step-mum had recommended us this free to download podcast and we decided it listen to it in the car as it was a very drivey holiday. I never listen to podcasts but am pretty in love with audiobooks and that’s pretty much what it was. It was honestly one of the most gripping and amazing stories ever! It follows an investigative journalist in America looking into a 1999 murder case of which someone was convicted and has since been in jail. However, as she begins to study the case, many twists and turns make it almost impossible to crack and the fact that it’s real just makes it all the more exciting! I have never been so transfixed. I would constantly lie awake and think about it, try and figure it out ; I became pretty obsessed!

I don’t want to give too much away but it really is brilliant. I would recommend it to everyone and anyone, especially anyone a fan of making a murderer and shows like that. Just download it!

Harry Potter film series

I’ve always loved HP, as have my family, but my brother had forgotten most of what had happened and conjured up the idea that we spend 2 weeks watching them all through. It also happened to be his last week at home with us as he moved out the day after we watched the last film. It was a really nice family thing to do together and also reminded me how much I love the films. Warning: watching them back to back is weird! Becomes rather emosh to watch them grow up if, like me, you grew up with the actors and with the film series. If you’ve somehow got through life never seeing any HP, I highly recommend it. Its brill.

Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood

I rarely get obsessed with a particular artist/album, but Troye has to be an exception. This isn’t a new favourite, I’ve been listening to his album for months now and am frankly shocked I haven’t mentioned him already. I first discovered him on Youtube. I love his videos and when he released his first EP, I have to be honest I wasn’t too bothered. However, I LOVED and still love the BN debut track Wild and it drew me to listen to the whole album… LOVE IT. I have it saved as offline on spotify. That says it all. I particularly recommend Wild (of course), but also Heaven, Ease and For Him. It’s so goooood just give it a listen.

Whittard hot chocolate

Basically just the nicest hot chocolate! I’m really not into the watery, instant shit so when I discovered this I was loving life. Its creamy, smooth and comes in loads of different flavours: white, dark, salted caramel and (my personal fave) mint. I like coffee but don’t like to overload my system with too much caffeine and so a hot chocy on a cold autumn evening is lush.

Natalia Taylor

I’ve found a new Youtuber I love! Her name is Natalia and I think we might just be soul sisters. One of her videos got really popular recently and she popped up on my recommended page. She’s a part time model and mostly makes “story time” videos that I just love. I really identify with her humour and I look forward to watching her videos at the end of the day.

That’s all this week

TTFN x

My Perfume Collection 2016

Since I was little, I've always taken a shining to perfume, and regularly stole a few sprays of my mum's "Eau d'Issey" now and then (unbeknownst to her). I have since tried lots of different scents and fallen in love with many which I wanted to talk you through. I much prefer wearing perfumes and eau de toilettes to body sprays as they feel much more signature and are often more long lasting. 

DISCLAIMER: I am proper, totally crap at describing scents so all I can suggest is you go and give these a smell for yourself!

Enjoy!

Estée Lauder - Beyond Paradise

This was my first ever perfume and to this day is sat sour and dusty on my shelf. Although I don't use it any more (due to its well overdue expiry date), I cannot bring myself to throw the bottle away because of its sentimentality. My mum bought it for me in an airport before our family holiday many years ago, and it's safe to say my dad was pretty annoyed!

The faint lingers of the scent remaining reminds me of exactly why I loved it in the first place - it's aquatic, light and fresh, a perfect summer holiday scent. The bottle has had a redesign, but it is still available on the website.

Brand description: Blue Hyacinth and Orange Flower Templar blend with Laelia Orchid and Crepe Jasmin, warmed with Zebrano Wood

Calvin Klein - Euphoria

This is one of my more wintery scents. It is still a very fresh scent, but I was given it for Christmas and have since associated the smell with that time of year. It is just a very lovely clean scent - light and sophisticated but also slightly woody.

Brand description: The beautiful fragrance starts off with pomegranate, persimmon, and a lovely lush green accord. The heart then blends into a sensual lotus blossom, black orchid which then finishes off with amber, violet, cream and woods.

DKNY - Red Delicious 

Another I was given for Christmas and thus associate with winter! As you are probably starting to tell, fresh and fruity scents are right up my street, and this Eau de Parfum's signature note is apple. Again a nice wintry, fresh scents with sweeter notes.

Brand description: This fragrance is daring crisp and sensual. Top notes of champagne accord, exotic lychee, red raspberry and crisp apple. Middle notes of violet petals, vanilla bean, patchouli and amber. Base notes of raspberry for a kiss of sweetness. 

Lush - Karma

This is my one and only solid perfume which I like as it pretty much allows you to pack on as much scent as you like. The perfume is packed into a small tin and packs a bit of a punch for hot, blissful summer evenings. Karma is without doubt my favourite scent throughout all Lush products, and my friend, knowing this, bought me this perfume for Christmas (I get a lot of perfume for Christmas!). Although I received it in the winter, this for me is defiantly and spring/summer scent. It's super warm, woody, smokey and citrusy ; the overwhelming feel you get from this is that its very hippy dippy and essential oils based. It's just SO GORGEOUS.

Brand description: Recalling London in the 1960's, clouds of patchouli mingle with uplifting sweet orange and cleansing pine. 

Mac - Turquatic (not photographed - apologies! It's lost someone deep in one of my bags)

I first purchased this last summer and as Zoella's favourite perfume, how could I not try it! This is so beautiful, so aquatic and fresh, it's insane. Mac have had this as their one and only perfume for ages and i'm pretty sure removed it from the collection for a couple of years, but brought it back. It is very summery and holiday perfect, falling in a similar category to the Estée Lauder one. At the moment I only have a trickle in the bottle of the 10ml roll on bottle, but am sure I shall be re-purchasing it before my summer holiday.

Brand description: Featuring anemone, lotus, orris and Corsican blue cedar

Serge Lutens - Un Bois Vanille

Unlike most of my other perfumes, Un Bois Vanilla is strong, woody warm and sweet. Before last Autumn, Serge Lutens wasn't really a brand I had experienced much of, in fact I'd never heard of it. But my Aunt had come to stay and, being a bit of a perfume expert, wanted to take me and my Mum out to all the big department stores and try all the perfumes. I sprayed this early afternoon, not expecting much. However, as the day progressed, so did the perfume. The warm, wintry layers unfolded and filled my surroundings. It also is also probably my most long- lasting perfume. I also think it would make a beautiful summer evening scent as it is so warm and sweet.

Brand description: To paraphrase Freud, it's not the evil who are full of regrets, but the good. Both the devil and vanilla like black. 

...Cheers Serge Lutens, great description there.

Jo Malone - Blackberry & Bay

Of all my perfumes, I would say this is my most signature scent. I discovered it a couple of years ago when I had heard Tanya Burr talking about it. I went into Selfridges, gave it a spritz and fell in love. It is light, fresh and fruity (quel surprise). Although it isn't very strong and the scent doesn't linger, it's just so beautiful and a scent unlike any other perfume I've ever tried. I think my love for it might be a throwback to when I was little and used to blackberry pick with my brother in the passage running down outside the bottom of our garden. If you've never tried any Jo Malone at all, I really recommend popping in and having a spray. I would say it is slightly wintry, but basically an all year round scent.

Brand description: Childhood memories of blackberry picking...A burst of deep, tart blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. Vibrant and verdant.

TTFN x

Current Favourites - 5/4/16

Hello all!

It feels like i've been away far too long. I have actually written a blog post this year but I decided to remove it because it was SUPER depressing and rambley and didn't really fit with what I wanted this blog to be to me. Since then I think that i have become a bit scared off from blogging, but no more! 

I wanted to start this new year off again with a current favourites. I considered turning this into a monthly favourites but panicked because 1) COMMITMENT? WHAT? NO, NO! and 2) I can't really remember when I started using/loving different products so I thought I would just throw in anything i'm currently loving! Yes, it is a new year but this blog is still going to remain the lovely mess it began out as. Side note, I have actually already managed to drop and smash my beautiful new iPhone 6s this year... welcome back!

Too Faced - Better than sex mascara

I bought this a while ago when my beloved Benefit Roller Lash dried up, and was a little skeptical at first as amongst all the raving reviews ; I had heard a few warning that those who prefer a natural look may not like it as much. I tend to really dislike any mascara that could be at all clumpy or stick my lashes together but holy moly do I love this stuff! It is very thickening, but in a good way! It makes my lashes look fuller and more voluminous. You can slap on one coat for a more fluttery look, or layer it up for fuller, sexier lashes. I also really like the applicator. its a sort of hourglass wand of full bristles which I do tend to prefer to plastic applicators. It doesn't dry up quickly at all either and has beautiful packaging (not important but warms my soul and makes me love it even more)! Definitely a holy-grail product.

MAC lipstick - Velvet Teddy (matte)

I love the formulation of all mac lipsticks, especially the matte ones as they're not too drying and last really well. I wanted this lipstick for a while and was to-ing and throw-ing between this and Jubilee which i'd once swatched and loved. 

I was a little nervous that this as a nude would majorly wash me out as I naturally have darker lips, however I have now fallen in love with this shade. I wear it into college lightly pushed into my lips with a super simple, natural eye or of an evening when I want a sexy nude with a more bright, smokey eye. I really want to get hold of their Spice lip liner as that's what Kylie Jenner wears with this (and let's be real, lip goals!) but I don't as yet wear anything with it apart from a bit of blotted lip balm underneath to stop my lips going totally flakes-ville.

Khiel's creamy eye treatment with avocado

I've always naturally suffered from really dry skin, but only recently developed drier skin under my eyes. I saw Zoella mention that she went through a really dry period under her eyes and this helped combat it so I gave it a go and love it! I used it once or twice a day and it kept my under eyes very hydrated. You pop it on and as you blend it in, it almost melts a little into more of a cream/oil before sinking in. My concealer sits SO much better under my eyes now and if i'd forgotten to use it for a week or so I really noticed the difference. I am however still on the hunt for an eye cream to make a noticeable difference to my dark circles as I am yet to find one that does so if you have any suggestions please leave them below!

Fleur De Force lashes by Eylure - Fleur Loves

I am growing more and more fond of false lashes. I never used to wear them and i'm still properly crap at applying them, but I think they really glam up a look. I love Eylure lashes anyway ; they don't easily lose their shape and a reusable which is great when you're on a budget! I've really been enjoying these lashes specifically because they're 3/4 length so are much easier to apply. They also wing out slightly which I think is super pretty and complements my eye shape. Thanks Fleur for the beautiful lashes!

Khiel's Creme de Corps

I am SO lazy when it comes to body moisturising. Like actually. It's a problem, especially seeing as I suffer from really dry skin! I thought i'd invest in i slightly more high end body lotion, and i'm so glad I did! It sinks in super quickly so you don't end up all sticky for ages, and is pretty much scentless so don't worry about it clashing with your perfume. However, BE WARNED! I bought the little 75ml bottle to try out for £8.50 but it's so difficult to get the product out of! It's such a brill. product though so if I were you I would take the plunge and buy one of the hench, pump bottles.

So those are my favourites right now! I'm sorry for rambley post but I was just looking forward to blogging again! I'm hoping to keep this up now and I have a few different posts planned for over the next few months.

TTFN x

Winter Bedding 2015

To reflect the season one of the easiest things to change up around your home is your bedding. This year I feel like i've really perfected the perfect set up to make me feel all snug and christmassy so I thought i'd share it with you in this quick post.

Bed - Laura Ashley
Sheets - Primark
Throw - ?
Fairy lights - Urban Outfitters

Cushions (top image, left to right)
White - Store 21
Fluffy red - Debenhams
London Bridge - Dunelm
Red - Homebase
Floral - Homebase
Deer (cover) - Amazon

TTFN x

Autumn/ Winter - Lips & nails

Hello! I haven’t posted in so long which sucks but it’s because all my plans for blog posts have required a bit of photo snapping, and (to cut a long story short) I had my phone robbed (which the insurance company have finally managed to replace 3 months later) and I'm not getting a new camera till the end of the year.

So yes, apologies for the absence but I thought I would issue you my first Autumn post (bit late, sorry!).

Autumn is and always has been my favourite season which used to make me super cool and quirky but has become the thing among beauty bloggers. I think its because you can suddenly be so much more adventurous with your makeup in terms of bold lipstick and smokey eyes. Anyway, two of the easiest things, I think, beauty wise to change up and give a little nod to the season are lips and nails. So here are some of the nail vanish’s, lipsticks and glosses that have become my staples since the start of autumn, and will no doubt carry me right through winter.

Nails

 (Clockwise from the top)
Barry M - Gelly Hi Shine nail paint - Black Cherry
I am quite surprised this is the only Gelly nail vanish i've put in this post because I love these. I got this in October and i'm pretty sure it was part of a Halloween collection but don't quote me on that!
A few coats leaves this nail vanish really opaque and super shiny, plus the Gelly nail vanish and impressively chip proof. The shade is like a really-dark-red-almost-black and makes you look like some sexy, chic vampire goddess.

Essie - Angora Cardi
UNsurprisingly this isn't the only Essie vanish in this post. I'm going to through it out there and say Essie polishes are my favourite EVER. They have such an incredible range of colours and are INSANELY chip proof, even for lazy buggers like my who can't be asked with top coats and such. On first look, it's like a beigey dusty rose (not that you can tell from the awful picture - sorry!) but comes out a little bit darker on the nails. A very chic nude.

Maybelline Color Show - 241 Orange Attack
If you want something a bit brighter, I really like this unashamedly vibrant orange shade. The consistency of this particular vanish is quite thin and liquidy so requires a bit more patience to apply but, after a few coats, does leave and lovely glossy, vibrant nail.

Rimmel London - 60 seconds - 320 Rapid Ruby
In my opinion, the perfect red. I would say its a touch darker than a pillar box red but is perfect is RED is all you want. I also tend to wear this one over christmas because it looks great with a lick of red glittery polish over the top. They 60 second polishes also dry really quickly (obviously) which, again, is perfect for me because i'm so lazy when it comes to waiting for my nails to dry.

Essie - Bahama Mama
Shock horror, more Essie. I picked this one up last month when I discovered that my dark vanishes were all more red than anything else, so I ventured into Boots with the intention of finding a polish that was more berry toned. This is. It's A gorgeous dark berry but, when applied, gives the appearance of an almost brown-red. Very chic (wow everything's very chic today). I tend to reward myself with this when i've managed to grow my nails a bit.

(From right to left)

Maybelline Color Show - 216 Plum Paradise

I don't often find a time to wear this certain one as it's a deep, shimmery purple. It would be perfect for a porter maybe Halloween? It it a bit less thin than Orange Attack so is slightly easier to apply.

Barry M nail paint - ?

This is like a darker Plum Paradise with silvery, metallic shimmer running through it. Again, it's a nice shade after you've grown your nails out a bit. This is also quite liquidy and takes some coats to become really opaque but gives such a nice metallic finish.

Rimmel London - Metal Rush - 60 Royal Blue

This was a gift a long time ago and I LOVE IT. When you twist the bottle, light reflects the colour as a mixture of blue, green and purple and it paints on as exactly the same colour. Only a couple of coats leaves a lovely metallic finish, but more blended together than the Barry M one (if that makes sense!). Writing this, i'm ashamed I've ignored it for so long because it's honestly gorgeous.

Rimmel London - 60 seconds - 844 Out of the blue

This is another antique purchase. I feel like everyone has a different idea of what teal looks like but, for me, this is pretty much it. This has to be the perfect representation of my favourite blue EVER. It's like I dark bluey-green but not quite turquoise (more blue). I wore this religiously a couple of years ago and am looking forward to revisiting it. I would also like to add that it has an XPRESS brush (whatever that means) but it's wider that most nail vanish applicators which I love because it drives me mad when you're practically wiping on vanish with like a needle.

However, I warn thee this nail vanish does majorly stain your hands for a few days when you take it off which is gutting because I love everything else about it.

Essie - Chinchilly

I bought my best friend this nail vanish in a set last year, and I think went out to by the same one the following week. For autumn, i feel like this a the perfect nude. It's a gorgeous beigey, almost lilacy grey, which seems to just flatter pale skin wonderfully and doesn't wash you out at all. Looks lovely on short or long nails, and I don't need to walk you back through how much I like the staying power of these.

L'oreal Paris - 205?

Now, this is quite a runny nail vanish and takes quite a few coats before it goes opaque. It's staying power isn't much crack either HOWEVER, I am yet to find a pink as nice as this. Is like someone got a baby pink and mixed in a tiny bit of Chinchilly. A lovely nude.

Lips

Phew, now that we've got through all those nail vanishes, lets move onto lips.

1. Revlon Lip Butter - 085 Sugar plum

In the stick, this lipstick looks like a super dark berry however, as it's a balm, it comes out pretty sheer which I actually love! It leaves a lovely pink-berry colour one the lips, and really flatter pale AND darker skin. I also suffer from insanely dry lips, and it's no secret that these are largely popular for their nourishing properties. However, as with most balmy lipsticks, you do want to apply this it freshly exfoliated lips, other wise the colour can catch on bits of dead skin (eww, sorry for that!).

2. No7 Moisture Drench - Mulberry

These, although aren't very long lasting, sit really nice on the lips without being too drying. The shade itself if a dark beigey-pink and is a really nice colour. My skin tone and dark lips make it difficult for me to wear any pale, milky pinks so this for me is a really good pinky nude.

3. Rimmel London  - Kate - 107

Although a recent purchase I love this. It's long lasting and super pigmented and just darker than a pillar box red. It's the lipstick equivalent of Rapid Ruby nail vanish. This lipstick is famously loved and raved about by Zoella, so of course I had to try it and now I love it too.

4. Mac - Diva

Oh, hello holy grail. I don't need to sit here and tell you about how pigmented and long lasted mac lipsticks because they're famous for it. The colour is also really popular - it's a super deep, dark red but just on the right side of vampy.

(front row)

5. Urban Decay lipgloss - Liar

I am a little surprised there only one lipgloss but I think it's because i'm really fussy when it comes to lipgloss consistency. This is such a nice pink - your lips but infinitely juicier and more kissable. It's shiny and opaque, glossy but not sticky. It also smells and tastes lovely, like mint. It tingles ever so slightly but not OTT like fireworks on your lips.

(not photographed - sorry)

Chanel - Rouge Coco Shine - 54 Boy

Sorry I forgot to photograph it, but thats because it lives in my bag rather than my dressing table! I bought this earlier in the year after seeing Tanya Burr wear the shade Satisfaction in a video and initially went out to purchase that one. Alas, it had been discontinued, but I began swatching others and discovered this one. The only way I can describe is your lips but better. The perfect in between of sheer and pigmented. It also smells SO GOOD - like rose turkish delight.

So there are my current beauty staples.

Hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to a few more wintry post before the year is up!

TTFN x