Liebster Blog Award.

I've just got back from holiday today and found that I've been nominated for another Liebster Blog Award by the lovely lady from The Beauty Think Tank thank you so much!

Rules: 

1. Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.

2. They must also answer the 11 questions the ' tagger ' has set for them

3. They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.

4. They must then choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers and tag them in their post.

5. These lucky bloggers must then be told.

6. There's no tag backs.

11 Things About Me

1) I'm an only child.

2) I have 5, yes FIVE cats *crazy cat lady* called (in age order): Jess, Geddy, Moshi, Kat & Pyewacket.

3) I have just got a degree in Psychology.

4) I have visited 3 continents of the world.

5) I hate football. 

6) I'm left handed.

7) I don't eat anything that swims i.e fish or seafood, by choice not necessity. 

8) I'm an avid meat eater.

9) I never used to wear dresses or skirts and now I pretty much exclusively wear them.

10) I've been driving for over 3years (not continuously!).

11) I've just got back from holiday and had a yummy KFC on the way home (Y).

Beauty Think Tank's Questions

1) If you could design your own beauty product, what would it be?

Probs a lipstick orrrrr an amazing eye palette. 

2) Would you rather be forced to wear full coverage foundation for a year or go without lipstick for a year?

Forced to wear full coverage foundation- this doesn't bother me at all! But no lipstick would make me sad :[

3) Do you like BB Creams or are they just hype?

I do like them for their ease and skincare benefits but some are really shiny so I go for oil-free ones.

4) Favorite season for makeup?

As in trends? Deffo winter, it's all about smoky, sultry, vampy looks.

5) Favorite drugstore/ high street beauty product?

Just one?!? I can't pick!

6) If you could do a makeup/ lookbook based on a country/ place what would it be and why?

This is an interesting question...I honestly have no idea. Maybe Paris because it evokes sophistication and simplicity.

7) If you could do the makeup of any Olympian who would it be and why?

Wowzers, erm maybe Laura Trott because she's got stunning blue eyes.

8) All time favorite song?

Can't pick one my friend. 

9) What is your favorite thing to blog about?  Not just makeup in general.

Probs skincare products because they're usually on the more expensive side so I want other's to know whether they're worth the hype or not.

10) What inspires you to blog?

Deffo other blogs and when people comment on my posts. Also, magazines and street style.

11) If you were on a deserted island what three things would you need to have with you?

Well I'm assuming that life-essentials are covered (i.e food, water, shelter etc) so probs my boyfriend, my slippers and my phone.

My 11 Recipients!

Charlotte Lucie Beauty

Jennifer Polly

Lilac Dreams

Lipstick and Coffee

Truly Outrageous

Beauty and the Photographer

Describing Beauty

The Beauty Fiend

Sunny Dollish

Pierre Le Cat

Pretty Poison Blogs

My 11 Required Questions

1) Cats or dogs?

2) What type of makeup product do you have the most of (e.g lipsticks)?

3) What inspires your to blog?

4) What attracts you most to other blogs?

5) What's your fave high street makeup brand?

6) What's your fave high end makeup brand?

7) What's your favourite flavour of ice cream?

8) What's your fave nail varnish colour?

9) If you could have your hair like any celebrity, who would it be?

10) Who is your fashion icon?

11) What's your fave shop?

Thanks you guys!

Fave Five: Ice-Cream Nails.

Nails Inc. for InStyle Magazine; Barbara Daly Pink; Avon Nailwear Pro in Aqua Fantasy, Luxe Lavender and Lemon Sugar. 

In my eyes, Avon dominate the ice-cream nail shades arena; my first ever ice-cream shade was in fact Luxe Lavender which is just the smoothest strong lilac I've seen. Aqua Fantasy has a lovely pearly shimmer running through it as does Lemon Sugar- the latter of which I am kind of paranoid about wearing as a block colour because I'm not tanned to it can make me look like I've got a skin deficiency- not a good look. I also buzz off the Nails Inc. for InStyle Magazine powder blue. The thing I love most about ice-cream shades is that they all work together as block alternate colours or as various patterns and nail art. They also add a splash of not-too-intense colour to any old outfit. What are your favourite ice-cream nail varnishes?

p.s By the time you read this I'll be getting ready to leave (if not already on my way) on the road trip up north for my holiday with my boyfriend's family which I'm super excited about. I doubt the cottage will have le internet so I probs won't be replying to comments for a week or so. Have a lovely week girlies!

p.p.s Don't forget to enter my 100 follower give away!

In Your Face: S&G A Great Kisser.

Soap & Glory A Great Kisser Lip Balm in Chocolate Cherry (£5 from Boots or S&G website). 

This was another one of my Birthday Glossybox treats from my chum; she sure knows how much I love S&G! A Great Kisser is available in three colours/fragrances including Sweet Coconut, Juicy Peach and the one I have which is Chocolate Cherry. I'm a bit of a lip balm hoarder but that's mostly due to the fact that I keep them in all my handbags, at my boyfriend's house, by my bed, in my makeup bag and anywhere else where I might need one! I have too many on the go that I care to admit tbh. All this effort is due to the fact that I have fairly dry lips and that's just no fun if you're planning on wearing lipstick tbh.

As always with S&G, the packaging is super cute with the vintage style photographs and the cheeky product names. I know a lot of people go hygiene crazy when it comes to lip balms in tins but tbh, I tend not to be arsed about those kinds of things (rightly or wrongly); for me, tins represent ease of application and more product for your poundage. In my opinion, Chocolate Cherry smells nothing like either of the elements it's named after although it does smell sweet and not at all displeasing. In the tin, Chocolate Cherry is a rosey pink shade which transfers to the lips ever so slightly but I'm more in it for the moisturising properties than the colour pay off. I find this lip balm to be super hydrating, softening and smoothing; a feeling which lasts beyond the wear of the lip balm itself which I'd say was pretty standard in length. The lip balm isn't at all sticky or icky and doesn't feel thick and glupey like rival Vaseline can. Overall chaps, this is deffo a winner for me and once more, my chum strikes again with this one. I'm gonna be honest here, I personally think £5 is quite steep for a lip balm but now I know what it's like and that I super like it well loads, I'm for sure tempted to try the Juicy Peach variety purchased with my own monies. Watch this space. What are your thoughts on this lip balm? Any recommendations for dry lips?

p.s Don't forget to enter my 100 follower give away!

In Your Face: MUA Professional Eye Primer.

MUA Professional Eye Primer (£2.50 from Superdrug or MUA website). 

OK, so I know I reviewed the e.l.f Eyelid Primer only last week buttttt I wanted this bad boy loads and it was sold out everywhere for ages so I had make do and hope that the e.l.f version would be up to scratch. Now I've heard great things about this MUA Eye Primer and, I'm not gonna lie, some bloggers' claims seemed wild and outlandish to me- just as good if not better than the Urban Decay Primer Potion- let's not get too excited now munchkins. So one day, I looked hopelessly at the MUA stand in Superdrug and bless my soul there it was. Firstly, I love the packaging- I'm a sucker for simple black packaging but I'm dubious as to how long the silvery writing will last. The product has a doe-foot sponge applicator which I like because you can get more control with it than with a brush. The primer itself is a neutral off-white shade which is pretty much translucent on the lids when you pat it in. 

I personally apply a small amount of product to each lid before patting and smoothing it in from my lash line to just above the crease of my eyelid to cover the area where the majority of my eye makeup will sit. The primer applies really smoothly and a little goes a real long way. It dries quite tacky which would be odd if you wanted to wear it alone (why would you though really?) but makes total sense when you begin to apply your eye makeup over the top- even the flakiest and dustiest of my eye shadows have been sticking to this primer smoothly and softly. I find that the MUA Eye Primer prevents creasing, makes the colours last longer than on bare skin and just holds everything in place. I also find that it aids with the blending of colours on the lid as it provides a smooth base for you to work on. Is it worth the hype? Yes. Is it worth the price? Are you kidding me, £2.50 feels like thievery! I love this product so much and I'm so glad I managed to get my hands on it eventually. Honestly, if you see it in store you should just buy it and try it because it's made such a difference to my eye makeup. Have you tried this MUA wonder bargain?

p.s Don't forget to enter my 100 follower give away!

Inside My Travel Wash Bag.

 Wash Bag- Primark

Clinique 7 Day Scrub; Primark 4in1 Deep Facial Cleansing Wipes; Simple Eye Makeup Remover mini; Simple Soothing Facial Toner mini; Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish mini; My Skin No Shine Mattifying Moisture Lotion; Good Things Stop That Spot Clearing Gel; Skin Wisdom Youth Protect Eye Treatment.

Soap & Glory Clean, Girls Body Wash; Scrub of Your Life; The Righteous Butter minis. 

Tresemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hair Spray; S&G Glad Hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner minis and Mark Hill Turn Up the Heat mini.

As I've mentioned, I'm away this week with my boyfriend and his family staying in a cottage up north so I thought I'd show you what I'm taking with me in my wash bag. I used a rolly-up wash bag from Primark when I went to Bruges with my man in June (seems like a lifetime ago!) but shortly after I saw a blogger's Muji wash bag which looked super nice. As I was about to order one offline, I found this replica in Primark which is exactly the same style but with polka dot and red trimmings rather than being all matte black like the Muji one. I can't remember but I think it was either £3 or £5 which is a bargain either way! There's two zip pockets and then a large area in the base which also has little mesh sections in it. 

I've brought a mixture of everyday favourites, new products to try out and stuff I wanna use up and get rid of! Instead of taking my usual serum, day cream and night cream I'm just going to use the My Skin No Shine Mattifying Moisturiser to see what it's like. I've nearly finished both of the Boots Cucumber Eye Gels that I have at mine and my boyfriend's houses so I picked up this Skin Wisdom Eye Treatment to check out as it was 1/2 price. The products I'm hoping to use up are the S&G shampoo and conditioner as I don't find them that amazing tbh and the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish because I really don't like the smell and much prefer the S&G Peaches and Clean cleanser I've been using recently. I'll probs be reviewing a lot of these when I get back so keep your peepers peeled if you're interested in any of them. I've also brought suncream, e.l.f makeup setting spray, deodorant (obvs) and Batiste dry shampoo but they were for last minute packing after I took these photos. What are your travel essentials? 

p.s Don't forget to enter my 100 follower give away!

In Your Face: e.l.f Matte Lip Colour.

e.l.f Studio Matte Lip Colour in Nearly Nude (£3.75).

I got this aggesssss ago and totally forgot about reviewing it: not a good start really. Regardless of my dryish lips, I love a matte lip any day over a shimmery shiny finish lipstick; to me, the mattenss harks back to 1950's  makeup and Marilyn Monroe as well as it's gothic-trend qualities. I went for Nearly Nude during my quest for the perfect nude, everyday lip. The packaging is nice and simple with the black pen-like tube and the coloured base which is oh-so handy in my opinion (not knowing the colour of products just by sight of the packaging seems to be an annoyance to me). I'm also a fan of the crayon style application of lip products atm, it's super easy and less annoying when you use up loads of product, like when the top of a lipstick either becomes flat or ridiculously angular. 

Nearly nude is a peach based shade and for me, that's about where the niceties end: this product is super drying, not at all long lasting and cakey. If you're going for that 'corpse' look where you've applied your eye makeup with a trowel and have effectively concealed your lips then you'll for sure love this (Y). For the rest of us who like to keep our human features in tact however, this product aint so nice. The colour doesn't apply particularly smoothly and drags on the lips, like I say, the colour is real nice but it just doesn't translate as pigmented and seems chalky and 'blah'. Unfortunately, this is another e.l.f avoider for me but don't knock it till y'all try it. 

p.s Don't forget to enter my 100 follower give away!

Fear Me Dear For I Am Death.

Shirt- H&M

Skirt- H&M

Ring- New Look

Nails- No7 in Violetta

Back in my boyfriend's mum's room! I actually bought this shirt when I went shopping last week but it was omitted from yesterday's haul post due to it being in the wash. I've been looking for shirts and collared clothes recently because they're my new fashion faves and this one ticked so many boxes for me. It was only £12.99 from H&M and looks good tucked in to a high-waisted skirt as well as over shorts or a body-con skit. I love the monochrome polka dots and the looseness of the shirt. I'm super excited about going away on Saturday (even though I'll miss my cats) and I'm just hoping the weather's alright for us to go out and about in. I'm also hyper excited about going down to London in a few weeks to get tattooed again. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but I'm well excited because the last time I got tattooed was around 3years ago now because it's real expensive to go down to London etc but it's finally here now! My boyfriend's finally getting his leg finished too and he's been getting really annoyed about having a half finished leg but money don't grow on trees baby. I might do a post on my tattoos when I've got back from London so let me know if that's something you'd be interested in. 

p.s Don't forget to enter my 100 follower give away!