easter/end of year treats

(L) 'All That Glitters' (R) 'Mystery'

My palette is slowly filling up!

So I was lucky enough to get money for easter so instead of spending it on boring things like food or cleaning products (who needs those anyway right?) I decided to treat myself for easter and because I have officially finished my first year of university! I handed in my last essay on Monday and it was such a relief. This year has flown by, but I'm lucky enough to still be living in my uni city this term, just to enjoy being independent and spending time with my bestest chums!

Of course my first stop was MAC, I simply cannot go into High Cross shopping centre without picking something up in there. I'm slowly but surely filling up my 15 pan palette so picked up two more shades 'All That Glitters' and 'Mystery' which fit with my neutral theme. I was desperate for another lipstick and after seeing someone instagram a photo of 'Crosswires' I kinda wanted it to be mine right away. It's a new formula compared to my other MAC lipsticks as it's a Cremesheen but still doesn't disappoint on pigmentation or moisturisation. Finally a mascara, something I'd never thought to go to MAC for until I received a tester of the 'Zoom Fast Black Lash' through with an online order and within one use I was sold. It wings out my lashes and gives them incredible length and volume. I like that it has a bristle brush which is tapered meaning that each lash is coated evenly with a strong black colour. 

Next was Topshop in search of something to wear tonight for our first night out back at uni, as soon as I walked through the door I spotted the white crop top with lace flower detailing and knew it was coming home with me. It's a fail safe which can be worn with shorts, jeans or patterned trousers and look great. I can tell I'll be wearing this non-stop in the summer.

Then the Body Shop where I picked up the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil, a Kate from gh0stparties influenced purchase, am yet to try this, but promises great things! It smells wonderful and has a pump which I love for this sort of cleanser, it means you don't waste a single drop! 

And finally Primark, I just picked up a back up blouse for either tonight or another night, but could also be worn in the day time. It's a muted-fluroescent peach and just compliments my skin tone and hair colour well, I love my blouses and for £8 it was a bargain! Then a pair of simple black earrings to wear tonight or whenever, again for a pound, you can't go wrong. 

spot cleaning makeup brushes

We all know how to deep cleaning your brushes with baby shampoo or use a brush cleaner such as the one by MAC to spot clean brushes, but what if you run out of both and your eye brushes are packed with shadow meaning you don't have a clean fluffy brush to blend or a flat shader to apply block colour? Such horror! Well I have the answer.

Most of us now use a miceller water to take our makeup off at night and it does a great job of removing every scrap, so I wondered, why couldn't this be used to clean brushes? Well it most certainly can, and it does an excellent job of doing so. Just drip some onto some kitchen roll or a small cotton pad and then swirl your brush until it is clean, voila! As easy as that. What with miceller waters now being sold in the drug store, and them being so readily available, it is easy to use this product for a multi-functional purpose. I'm not saying to whack out the Bioderma or other more expensive water based cleanser - but sparing a few drops of a cheaper alternative never hurt anyone when you're desperate!

revlon: pink in the afternoon

Whilst browsing in Boots, trying to pick 3 items to make use of the 3 for 2 offer they have on in store, (*queue you all running to boots*) I remembered thinking that I'd been looking for another nude lipstick to add to the one, yes, only one, I have in my collection already. I've never owned a Revlon lipstick so I went straight to their stand and found this little gem called 'Pink in the Afternoon'.

This is definitely an every day, pink toned nude which will go with any makeup look or outfit. The formula is creamy, but rather a sheer coverage, with high pimentation which feels light on the lips, which doesn't cling to any dry or flaky patches, rather than a creamy, heavy formula which requires a lot of blending to get an even coverage and to avoid any dry patches. This lipstick can be washed over the lips at any point during the day for a top up as you wouldn't really need a mirror because it's a 'your lips but better' colour. I'm definitely happy with this purchase and it will be a firm handbag favourite, it'll be getting a lot of use!

one lump or two?

So way back in October last year I was having a browse of 'buyagift.co.uk' for potential christmas presents and came across a voucher which gave two people afternoon tea at Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire, a hotel/restaurant/country park I have been visiting since I was knee high to a grasshopper. It's a beautiful place and I have so many fond memories of walking round there with my family, enjoying a picnic and just spending time together, so I bought the voucher for my Grandma and I to go at a time which suited us. I'd never actually been into the Abbey itself, as general walkers/tourists are not allowed, I'd only walked around the country park so I was excited to see if it was a posh and beautiful as people say. 

It was a wonderful afternoon, the food was delicious, the service was impeccable and the whole atmosphere of the place made you feel as if you were some royal who'd just popped by for a spot of tea. Dreamy. My grandma seemed to really enjoy herself too, I quote "This is one of the nicest and most thoughtful gifts anyone has ever got me", high praise indeed. 

While there I spotted that lovely blossom tree so asked my grandma if she would kindly take a photo so I could do a little OOTD, she said yes so I handed her my Canon 1100d and explained how to take a photo. It was challenging trying to get a good photo, so I resorted to my trusty iPhone and got the snap above - not the best but it does the job!

Wearing:

Topshop Tile Print Tunic dress

Black Tights

Grey Cardigan from H&M last year

Topshop Black MONTH Chelsea Boots

ASOS Scallop Edge Satchel Bag

MAC Vegas Volt lipstick

Had it been warmer, I'd have gone bare legged and worn a pair of heels I have stashed away at home, but c'est la vie! A wonderful afternoon regardless!

who has no self-control? *raises hand*

Once again, whilst browsing the MAC website and putting items into my basket I couldn't help but click "Confirm and Pay". Well who can pass up Free Delivery when is it so easy to spend £30 to qualify? MAC are so diverse in the products they sell, there is something for everyone and your entire makeup bag could be bought from them and you would be as happy as larry.

MAC Pro-Long Wear Paintpot in 'Painterly' (£15) 

MAC Pro-Palette Eyeshadows in 'Vanilla' and 'Mulch' (£10 each) 

MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash Sample (Complementary)

I am a strong lover of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo's and had heard that the MAC alternative was as good, if not better so I decided to take the plunge. As Maybelline do not offer a skin colour/natural base colour, I chose to purchase 'Painterly' which is a pink toned skin coloured cream base which applies like a dream. I simply just use my finger to blend all over my lid up to my brown bone and it leaves a smooth, even surface to apply shadow. On days where I don't want to wear shadow, I will simply use this alone to even out the skin tone on my eyelids. 

I am a big fan of MAC eyeshadows and have a 15 pan palette which I am (although slowly) filling with neutral shades. So far I have Satin Taupe and Charcoal Brown so thought I'd add Vanilla ('a peach ivory with reflects') and Mulch ('a red-brown with bronze peal'). I have a list as long as my arm of MAC eyeshadows to add to my palette and as my birthday is only a month away the names will be passed onto friends and family in the hope of adding to my collection if I am lucky enough! As always, the quality of these eyeshadows are just incredible. They blend well, the pigmentation is insane, the colour range is vast and they last all day - there isn't much more you could ask for! 

I was surprised when opening my black jiffy bag to find a complementary 'Zoom Fast Black Lash' mascara sample which sells for £14 full price. It has a bristel brush which doesn't tug on lashes, but glides through them giving volume and a strong black coating, it can easily be worn with just one coat, or be built up for an even fuller look. From a first try, I am inpressed and am considering buying the full size because £14 is a good price for what you get.

condition then shampoo: what's the hype?

I've been seeing a fair few people talking about this on the bloggersphere so thought I'd do a little testing into whether it works. In laments terms, you condition your hair before you shampoo, which sounds crazy right? I was certainly sceptical. It is meant to give your hair more volume and bounce since many conditioners weigh your hair down and can leave you with limp hair that perhaps is only volumous at the ends and not in the roots.

Did it work?
Yes! My hair is naturally fairly volumous but due to the amount of heat I use, it sometimes lack this and conditioning my hair first gave it such a boot, particularly at my roots. I have also found that my hair doesn't need washing as often as left-over conditioner isn't leaving a greasy residue in my hair. I am finding myself using less styling tools to try and create beachy waves, and just spraying my hair with salt spray and letting it dry naturally, it works a treat.

Not only does this little tip add volume but it is also a great in making sure all your conditioner is washed out, meaning you aren't left with heavy, greasy hair, just a day after washing. I think this is an nifty little trick and I'm so glad I came across it. It sounds strange at first, but give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

rimmel smokey purple quad

Rimmel Smoky Purple Quad (£6.99)

Maybelline 'The Falsies' mascara

I was wandering the makeup aisles of Boots recently (again) and saw this quad at the Rimmel counter and it look intriguing. I have never worn purple shadow before, I have pretty much always stuck to my natural browns, taupes and maybe a tiny bit of a cranberry shade if I've feeling rather adventurous. (that term used lightly...)

This quad is actually quite versatile, you can use all 4 shades to create a purple smoky eye or use either of the 'middle' tones as a wash of colour with a tiny bit of the white in the inner corners as a highlight. I love the colours, but I can't lie and say they are super pigmented because they aren't. Don't get me wrong, they are lovely shadows and for someone on a budget or just trying to branch out into new colours (like me) then they are good for that purpose. I am forever saying to my friends that you get what you pay for with makeup with the odd gem in the budget mix, it is worth paying that little bit extra if you know they product is going to be excellent quality, worth your money and not leave you wondering why you bothered paying.

For the price, this quad is good and I will get use out of it, if not using all 4 shadows together but using them all in different ways and I'm glad I bought it just to experiment with new colours instead of always opting for the brown smoky eye.

Would you ever wear purple eyeshadow? What do you think of the quality of Rimmel eyeshadows?

easter cupcakes

Easter is well and truly upon us, with Good Friday yesterday and Easter Sunday tomorrow, what did you get up to? Good Friday for me was spent at my church as we have a morning service at 10am and then children from the local area arrive to take part in crafts so I had my own little group to take around and they were all little darlings, thankfully! Tomorrow will be another service and then a BBQ with my Mum's side of the family, which is the whole reason I made these cakes - mum said we'd provide dessert so we have these plus other trifles and puds, yum! 

Although I sometimes think myself as Mary Berry reincarnated, the recipe is simple, a basic cupcake mix but this gives you the freedom to tailor the decorating to whatever occasion. I was going to do pink and yellow icing but the shop had run out of yellow so decided on pink and blue mixed into pastel shades to fit in with a spring theme. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, I don't bake as much as I used to because the oven at university it totally pants and I don't have time, but this afternoon I gave it a whirl and they were a success. 

The Recipe:- (Makes 12)

Ingredients: 

For the Cakes

• 150g softened unsalted butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self raising flour

For the Buttercream

• 175g softened unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 350g icing sugar
• Food colouring of your choice
• Sweets to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c/Gas Mark 4 and put 12 paper cases into a bun tray.
2. Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat (with an electric mixer if preferred) until soft and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs.
3. Sift in the flour and then using a metal spoon, fold in gently. 
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake in the pre-heated oven for 18-22 minutes. To check if they are done, poke in a skewer - if it comes out clean, then they are ready. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool.
5. To make the buttercream, put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for a few minutes, until pale and creamy. Add the milk and sift in the flour, then mix for a further 2-3 minutes. Divide into two bowls and beat in a little food colouring into each. 
6. Swirl the buttercream on top of the cooled caks and decorate with sweets.

It's as simple as that! 

the beauty scenario tag

1. You have to get rid of all your foundations and you can only keep one high end and one drugstore, which do you keep?

I don't actually own any 'real' high end foundations, my closest would be MAC Studio Fix Fluid which is a faultless product and I use everyday. For drugstore I would probably choose Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum for something a bit lighter in contrast to the MAC Studio Fix.

2. You go for an interview and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?

If this were to be a friend I would no doubt tell them, but an interview situation is tricky. I think it depends on their attitude, if they were warm towards me and if it were for a job in the beauty industry/something similar then I would say something but if not, then I'd ignore it.

3. You're not feeling yourself and need a pick me up. Which lipstick do you put on to make yourself feel beautiful?

Ooh toughie! I wouldn't go for a strong lip, a red for example because the question suggests that you may be feeling a bit crappy! Possibly Rimmel Kate Moss in '#08' because it is an easy everyday nude/plum which can be worn with any makeup or clothing. It's a fail safe.

4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years, how would you do your hair and makeup differently?

I would change so much. Scraped back pony tail with no bumps at all costs. Looking like you were bald in pictures? Yeah, not a great look. Glitter eyeliner was another big mistake of mine, or thick black liner all around my eyes. What was a thinking? I was either a glitter ball or had dramatic panda eyes.

5. You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott hair cut, but they hear wrong and give you a pixi cut. Do you a) Smile, say thank you, leave and call your mum hysterical b) Cry in the chair and things get awkward or c) Complain to the manager and demand a refund.

My hairdresser is just too lovely to say anything, she has been cutting my hair since the first time I ever got my hair cut, I refuse to go to anyone else. So I would refrain from saying something and worked with what I'd got, everyone makes mistakes!

6. Your friend surprises you with a 4 day city break and you have 1 hour to pack. Which 'do it all' palette do you pack in your makeup bag?

This is tough. I don't have a palette which includes eye shadow, blush and contour so I shall just include a palette for eyes. I would, without a shadow of doubt, choose the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. It has everything, from a shimmer highlight, matte browns for a brown smoky eye or wash of colour, a perfect brown for my brows and a matte black which is perfect for a subtle eyeliner. It's a frequent go to and is always in my handbag, especially when travelling.

7. Your house has been robbed, don't worry everyone is safe, but your beauty stash has been raided. What's the product you really hope is safe?

Oh goodness. Well luckily all the products I have are easily replaced as none are limited addition, so although I would be gutted about it, I would just see the bigger picture. My family are safe and that's the main thing!

8. Your friend borrows your makeup and returns it in awful condition. Do you 

a) Just pretend you haven't noticed 

b) Ask them to repurchase it 

or 

c) Secretly do the same to something of theirs

I would pretend I haven't noticed, they're my friend and I'll forgive them haha. It's happened at uni where my makeup box has been in my sink during predrinks (left from when I did my makeup in the bathroom mirror) and a drunken visitor turned the taps on and soaked my entire stash. If it's damaged, it can be replaced. Still a bit annoying though haha!

Now to tag! I tag anyone who has read this post, send me your links as I'd love to read your answers!

revision tips and staying organised

A little bit of a different post today and one which I hope will help at least one of you. Although my days of GCSE's and A levels are over and I am now at university, I still have to be very organised and on top of my work so what I have learned through my school days has most definitely helped me. I made many mistakes during the first year of my A levels when it came to revision and this severely affected my grades but I promise it might seem like the end of the world then, but you can turn it around and still do well if you put the work in. Stay positive!

Writing notes / Keeping them organised.

It's a no brainer but when you make notes in lessons whether on powerpoints or paper, keep them in a A4 folder and divide each module into sections. I know this may seem like a rookie thing to do, but so many people in my sixth form didn't do this and then when it came to revision they realised that they were missing half their notes and really struggled to revise from nothing. (obviously!) I am a total neat freak when it comes to my notes so I used to spend hours copying them up until they were just perfect and although this was relaxing and made me feel better, really it was a bit of a waste of time, yes, rewrite notes as a revision technique but they don't need to be immaculate, as long as you are going through the process then it's fine!

Cue cards are a great way for condensing notes which is a good technique to begin with, you could even write a question on one side and the answer on the other so you can quiz yourself. You have to keep your brain actively engaged with the material so keep shuffling the cards so you don't learn the order! Also, write the answers in exam style (not just notes) so that you remember how to answer the question rather than just random facts!

Plan your revision / Create a timetable

Make use of all your time but don't overwork yourself! You need breaks at least every 40 minutes and these breaks need not be long, even if it's a moment to make another cup of tea, then it is something. But make sure to leave an hour to have lunch and give yourself a bit of a relax before getting back into it. Overworking yourself will only leave you feeling drained and like you have no life, you do not need to cancel all plans just because you have exams. But make sure when you dedicate time to work, you are actually working - meaning putting away your phone, laptop, tablet, anything that will distract you and focusing solely on working, or really you're just kidding yourself that you've done an hour's revision but really, how much of that time was actually spent recapping material? 

When it comes to lunch or snacks while your revising, keep it simple and healthy-ish. Everyone needs a pick me up in the form of something yummy to enjoy but try not to reach for all the carbs and sugar, this will leave you feeling sluggish and your brain will slow down meaning you have counteracted the hour's revision you have done and not actually retained any, or little of the material. Preparing your lunch as soon as you et up is a great way to save time and means you know you have something delicious to look forward to. I am thinking of putting some nice and easy lunch recipe's on my blog for inspiration if anyone is interested, keep an eye out. Also, try to stay away from sugary drinks, they have the same effect in leaving you sluggish once the sugar high has subsided. 

Practice Papers

Yes, they are boring and when you get a bit of a poopy mark on one it knocks your confidence a little but how can you improve if you don't practice in answering the actual questions? It seems like an obvious thing but in my first year of A levels I hated past papers so simply didn't do them and holy moley my grades suffered. They are the best resource you have because you can memorise or get a good idea of the exact marking criteria and blast it out in the exam. I do not believe in the theory that exam boards follow a pattern in the questions they give, although there is some correlation but, and I stress this highly, do not rely on this. So many people get caught out by only revising what they think is going to come up and when it doesn't the are left with nothing to write, cover your own back and revise anything and everything that could possibly come up. 

Quick Tips

A few final thoughts are these:-

• Set REALISTIC goals.
• Do not overwork yourself.
• Stay positive.
• Practice papers are your best friend.
• Stay healthy.

Good luck to all those with impending exams at any level of the education system, work hard and it will all pay off!