July Favourites!

Oh hey!

So I've never done a 'monthly favourites' post before so I thought I would give it a whirl and see if it proved a hit to my readers and myself! So here are my favourites from this month, some beauty related and some just life related, I thought I'd get a mixture as then you can have a nosey at what I've been up to as well as my beauty loves this month!

So lets get started!

~ Beauty Favourites ~

Eye Shadow Bases

I currently have 3 eyeshadow bases and I'm totally obsessed, I couldn't live without them! They are great under powdered eyeshadow but particularly on their own for a slick of colour when I either have limited time, am at work or just want simple eye makeup! The three I have are all neutrals, I'm not brave enough to venture into bright eyes yet!

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Clay Mask

I've had face masks before, but only the ones in the foil packaging which have one application and I've only really used them with friends, so I decided to try one out because my skin isn't that great! I saw Zoella mentioned this one in a YouTube video and raved about how good it was, so I popped into Boots and bought it!

It works WONDERS. I don't say that lightly either, it's really lovely, I definitely recommend it!

Peach Lipsticks

Peach lips have become a staple of mine this July and have worn one of these lip products every day in July! They brighten up my oh-so-boring neutral eyes and bring my makeup up to speed with Summer!

Revlon Colour Stay Foundation + Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I couldn't feature one of these without the other because both together are like a match made in heaven for my skin! I struggle finding long lasting and good quality foundations for oily skin, there aren't many on the market, particularly in the high street. I thought I'd spend a little more than I usually do on this Revlon Colour Stay and I'll never look back: It's amazing. It stays all day without a primer and I don't even have to touch up throughout the day as my face doesn't go shiny! 

I have previously been using the Real Techniques Buffing brush and loved it, but now I realise that it was far too big for my face and is much better for placing powder precisely! 

If you have oily skin, I definitely recommend these two products together, you won't regret it!

~ Lifestyle Favourites ~

Two Year Anniversary

What a milestone! Two years // 730 days // 17531 hours!

I love him lots and I won't go on but we've had so many ups and downs over the last two years but I'm so glad we made it through. 

New Camera: Canon 1100D and Getting Out More!

In July I have enjoyed using my new camera and also getting out the house more and enjoying the lovely weather we've been having here in the UK! Here are just a selection of photos I've taken on various walks and days in the garden! 

So that concludes my monthly favourites for July, I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed reminiscing on the past month!

Thank you for reading,

Katie xx

Holiday Essentials

Oh hey!

I thought it was about time I started writing a list of what to pack when I go away on holiday! 

Now I never go anywhere exotic, I just stay in the UK but go to some wonderful places, this year heading off the Cornwall for 2 weeks. Hopefully this heatwaves will stay for when I'm away and I can get a nice tan!

Bude, Cornwall (2012)

So, I decided to write myself a list so it saves the horror of opening my suitcase to look for something only to discover that it's on my bedside table still waiting to be packed! I thought I'd make this list available to you guys so it might help you out also!

Dartmouth, Cornwall (2012) Actually, a year ago today!

I've obviously left spaces for you to fill in your own clothes/shoes and other things because we don't all have the same! I've included some things that I think every girl needs when on holiday but of course this is only my humble opinion and you can modify the document to exactly what you need before printing!

So HERE is the document. (Select File > Download As > Microsoft Word Doc)

Hope this helps people out and I'd love to know where you're all going on holiday! I'm off to Cornwall again with my family for two weeks, it will be nice to relax.

Enjoy the summer!
xx

Recent Impulse Buys (Oops!)

Oh hey! I hope everyone in the UK is enjoying this 30 degree weather! I love it until it gets to bed time and then I can't sleep! 

So before getting the train to see my lovely boyfriend, I decided to take a trip to Superdrug and Boots to pass the time, I had no intention of buying anything... But as always I spent way too much money, oops!

1. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush 

Apparently to core collection wasn't enough for me and I needed another foundation brush! I'm yet to use this brush but I'm sure it will be just as good as all the other real techniques brushes (core collection, blush brush, precise shader)

2. Boujois Colour Boost Lipstick in 'Orange Punch' 

I love that this looks like a crayon! It's SO easy to apply and is great t carry around in my handbag! I used it this afternoon and the pigmentation is amazing and once to 'glossy' sheen has worn off, the colour stayed on for a good few hours after which I love, it means you can enjoy your day knowing your lip colour is looking fresh! 

3. Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Clay Mask

I didn't actually buy this today but I bought it the other day so I thought I would include it anyway! I've used this once and it is brilliant. It cleared my pores right out and left my skin feeling so fresh and clean. You can even see the impurities being drawn out by the little black splodges that appear during the time it's left on. (I did take a picture close up but I'm not sure you'd want to see it!

This is definitely a must have, it's fabulous and not by any means expensive!

4. Revlon Colour Stay foundation in 'Buff 150' 

I bought this foundation for a few reasons:

a) I thought I'd lost my current foundation and was only wearing concealor and desperately needed something to go on my face!

b) I've had my eye on this for ages! It intrigues me that it is specifically for combination/oily skin as I find it hard to find a foundation that doesn't make me look shiny within a few hours! 

I'll update you on how I find it!

5. Style Expertise Salt Infusion Surf Spray

I'm intrigued by salt sprays and since I want to go for more 'beachy waves' for summer I thought I should try this out! It's not an expensive one, just a Superdrug own brand but I didn't want to spend too much money on something I'm not sure if I like! 

Hopefully this will give the results I want and I'll do a hair post soon!

6. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealor

This is probably my 6th or 7th bottle of this stuff and I cannot fault it! I'm not gonna repeat what everyone mother and dog says about this product but in summary: it's incredibly pigmented, has great lasting power and is dirt cheap! 

7. 17 Wild Metallic Eyes in Wild Nude

Now I already has the Maybelline 24 hour colour tattoo's in 'Permanent Taupe' and 'On and on bronze' but sometimes, especially at this time of year, you need something a little lighter and this is perfect. 

For something so cheap, the pigmentation is great and I can't wait to wear it.

8. L'Oreal Telescopic 'False Lash Effect' mascara in Magnetic Black

I bought his mascara about a year ago and loved it but back then I didn't have the budget to buy it again, but today I did. Although it has a plastic wand that I usually wouldn't like, this picks up every lash and lengthens it and adds volume too. 

So there you go! Hope you've enjoyed having a gander at my recent purchases and let me know if you like this sort of post! 

See you soon,

Katie xx

Recipe Idea: Chicken, Chorizo and Lemon Linguine

Oh hey! So my grandma and I love to cook and we have a little scrap book of recipe's and everything, n'aww. 

I saw a post on instagram of some delicious looking food, so naturally my belly wanted it so I asked for the recipe, but alas, it was from a restaurant! So my grandma and I decided to recreate it! 

It was so so easy to make and here is our little made-up recipe!

For two people you will need:

1 large chicken breast 

3/4 of a chorizo sausage

The juice of half a lemon

150-200g of linguine or spaghetti

A clove of garlic

A fresh chilli pepper or dried chilli flakes

Parsley to top

Parmesan cheese to top

Method:

Dice the chicken,

Cut the chorizo into slice,

Crush the garlic,

Cut the chilli into small pieces,

Juice 1/2 a lemon 

Fry the chorizo, it will release natural oil which is enough to cook the chicken in too!

Put your pasta onto boil,

After a few minutes add the chicken, garlic and chilli and cook until golden,

Just before the pasta is done, add the lemon juice to the chicken and chorizo. 

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the wok of chicken, chorizo, etc and mix so the pasta is coated in all the oil. 

Serve in a bowl with a sprinkling of parsley and Parmesan cheese!

It's honestly so simple and it tasted so lovely! Hope the method is easy to follow and I hope if you make it, you enjoy it as much as I did!

This was also a ood chance to take some photos on my new camera, yippee!

Right, I'm off to work in Sainsbury's counters on the hottest day of the year, feel my pain :( Hope you're enjoying the sun though.

See you soon! xx

Introducing my new toy!

Say hello to my new Canon 1100D *waves enthusiastically*

Taken on my iPhone 5

I've been lusting after a DSLR since leaving secondary school, photography always fascinated me and I literally spent hours looking at others' photography on tumblr/flickr and also my friends. 

So I decided to take the plunge after having a job for a couple of weeks and being paid, wahoo!

In addition to the camera itself, I also bought
- UV filter
- 16GB Kingston Memory Card

Here are a few test shots that I took a few minutes ago...

Oh hey it's me in a mirror!

UV filter bought to protect the lens

Partly planning my holiday packing, partly planning a blog post for you!

Here is a link to where you can buy the camera: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-1100D-Digital-Camera-3-5-5-6/dp/B004MPQXZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373454959&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+1100d

So there you go! I'm cooking with my grandma tonight, we had an inspiring moment with a recipe idea that we had made up together so we're cooking it tonight, I'll take photos and write a post on how it turned out! 

Hope you're all well! 

Katie xx

P.S None of the photo's above are edited in anyway. 

Review: Topshop 'Ohh La La' Lipstick

Hello everyone! 

Time my first ever proper review post! 

 This isn't the first Topshop lipstick I've bought, I also have 'Rumour Has It' which I used to wear everyday during the winter time. 

But anyway, back to 'Ohh La La'...

I've been looking for a coral/peach liptick for a while now because I think it will be great for summer to spruce up my neutral eyes! This lipstick is p.e.r.f.e.c.t for that, it has pink rather than orange undertones and is so bright on the lip, I love it!

The consistency is very creamy and the pigment is brilliant for the price. The lipstick stays on for a while (I wore it today at work and it lasted through mugs of tea and endless phone calls!), so has high durability which is a must for me. It's a velvet finish, as described on the packet and is 'sheeny' but not shiny by any means which is great. You could definitely apply a clear or peach gloss over the top for an evening which would switch it up a bit. 

Here is my makeup from work today, please ignore my wet hair and hideous headphones, I had to take a quick snap whilst getting ready for work! 

I would rate this lipstick 4.5 out of 5, nothing is perfect but this certainly comes close!

Let me know how I've done with this review and maybe I can do more of them, I've certainly enjoyed taking photos and writing this!

Hope you have enjoyed and pop back soon! x