52 Things for 52 Weeks 2014

Last year I created a list of things that I wanted to achieve in 2013, and shared it with you.  Somethings I did myself proud with and accomplished, and in some areas, things didn't quite get off the ground.  This year I am more determined to complete every goal I have set myself whether it be on a personal or blogging level, as well as the one off and ongoing targets.  I hope this inspires you to create or achieve any resolutions you may make this New Year's Eve.

Beauty

Don’t be scared of colourful eyeshadow

Find a skincare routine that works and stick to it

Discover old favourites

Condense my makeup and skincare collection

Do not buy another body lotion until I have used all of the ones I have

Invest in good quality makeup brushes

Blogging

Have 40,000 page views

Interact and get to know followers

Complete 300 posts

Blog everyday for a month

Do a giveaway

Do a series

Get into a routine of photographing products before using them

Do a blog sale

YouTube

Have 5,000 views

Take part in bbloggers chats regularly

Create and post my 100^th video

Do a collaboration video

Do a vlog style video

Introduce style videos

Do a hair tutorial

Finance

Save up £1000 in my car fund

Pay off my credit card and be out of my overdraft

Fill up a piggy bank of only pound coins

Do the 100 day spending ban challenge and do not cheat

Fitness

Exercise 3 times a week for at least a month

Complete the 30 day shred

Lose 20lbs and keep it off

Create and stick to an exercise and diet plan for at least 3 months

Health &  Food

Get to sleep before 11pm for a week

Eat fish once a week for a month

Eat breakfast everyday for a month

Have 5 a day for 2 weeks

Have a signature dish and perfect it

Personal

Do something for charity

Say yes to something I would normally say no to

Learn to drive

Organise my room get rid of anything I do not need

Create a list of wedding songs

Get a promotion

Downsize my shoe collection

Relationships

Spend a weekend away with my boyfriend

Spend quality time with family

Book a holiday with boyfriend/friends

Have a cocktail night with friends

Meet up with a friend I haven’t seen in over a year

Travel &  Activities

Read a ‘classic’ novel (Little Women)

Read 10 books

Go to a theme park

Go to a casino

Go abroad

Have my photo taken with Mickey Mouse

What I Received For Christmas 2013

Hi everyone I hope you had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year! I have been addicted to looking through what everyone received this year for Christmas so for all of you that are as nosy as I am I give you What I received for Christmas 2013 post.  Please note I am by no means bragging I know that this is a popular post and I am a very lucky girl.

I also received some other personal bits and bobs so all in all I am very lucky and very grateful for all of the lovely presents that I was gifted this year.
Please leave a comment with links to what you received this year.

Thanks x

Letter to Santa - Christmas Wishlist

1. Ikea Hemnes Dressing Table

2. Lush products, I love everything they do especially the bath bombs

3. It wouldn't be Christmas without a Soap & Glory set under the tree.  I hope you follow me on Twitter so you saw when Boots were doing an amazing deal on the Yule Monty Set.

4. Michel Mercier Detangling brush (I have a lot of hair I need this in my life soon)

5. Who doesn't want to receive a YSL Rouge volupte lipstick?

6. The best of Real Techniques brushes

7. A Nexus 7 docking station, I always forget to charge my nexus and find would find it easier to watch YouTube videos with a steady place to rest my nexus.

8. Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Eyeshadow Palette, I don't think I was going enough to receive this unfortunately, it is a beautiful palette.

9. I actually want this Zara print in a shift dress. It has been very popular but I hope the elves managed to get me one before they sold out.

So there you have it, my Christmas wishlist for this year. It's not too late to send this out on Christmas Eve is it?  I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and are spending it with the people that you care most about.

Fragrance Direct Haul - Orly Nail Polish

Does everyone remember the hype about Fragrance Direct and how amazingly cheap Essie polishes are the site? Well, they have another cracker of a deal for you. Orly is now stocked on the Fragrance Direct website here, and with around 50 shades to choose from there is definitely something for everyone.  I know a lot of people can be cautious about buying nail polishes online as the colours shown can differ from the actual shade.  I open up a separate tab and Google for a swatch of the shade I am interested in and generally there is always someone that has a post on it. Simples!

I waited a while before posting this as I wanted to try out each shade and give you my thoughts. The shades I have are from left to right: Lift the Veil, Life's a Peach, Passion Fruit and Ruby.  All beautiful shades and they dry quickly too which is a bonus.  My favourite is Lift the Veil, which is from the I Heart Nails collection, which I believe are all nature, neutral shades and have wedding related names. The brush is just a standard one but I like that it applies the product evenly.

You can purchase Orly products from Fragrance Direct for £3.99 for an 18ml bottle, other retailers have the 10ml for £5 so this is such a good deal and I will definitely be making an order in the New Year! You can read my Essie post here where I talk more about how the products are so cheap.

Let me know if you have tried Orly and what your favourite shades are.

November Favourites

In case any of you missed it, I filmed my November favourites over on my YouTube channel at the beginning of this month.  There was a complete mix of products in there so let me know if you have been liking any of these too.

Tweezerman 10x Lighted Mirror

As girl you can never have enough mirrors! When I am laying in bed and I need to pluck my eyebrows there is nothing worse than getting out of a warm bed.  I always carry a mirror in my handbag and to be honest unless you have a big bag, I think the Tweezerman 10x lighted mirror is too big to carry around with you on a daily basis, but is perfect in your makeup bag when travelling.  It is brilliant as a bedside mirror, and even better that it has a light.  The lazy gal's prayers are answered. As I say I use mine mainly when plucking my eyebrows as the mirror magnifies by 10 times, but obviously it doesn't work if you hold it at arms length away from your face.  I like how it has the suction pads on the back so if you need to use both hands you can stick it somewhere and still be zoomed in I'm looking at those of you that wear contact lenses. This is such a handy mirror and wouldn't have thought of buying it for myself. A brilliant secret santa or stocking filler this Christmas.

MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick

I have been meaning to blog about this lipstick since I got it a year ago! I don't know what has taken me so long.  If you don't know anything about MAC lipsticks, there are eight finishes: Creamsheen (my favourite), Frost (my least favourite), Matte, Retro Matte, Amplified Cream, Lustre, Glaze and Satin. Vegas Volt is an amplified finish which means the colour is super pigmented but is still creamy and doesn't dry out the lips. MAC lipsticks are now £15 in the UK but I bought mine in New York so I think I paid $15.

I love this shade, between a red and an orange this is the perfect day to night lipstick.  As I mentioned it has an opaque finish but still leaves your lips looking healthy.  I find that this shades lasts about 3 to 4 hours, including eating and drinking, and that the shade fades evenly to a lovely stain.  I do have the MAC lipstick bug now and with such a huge shade range MAC is definitely the place to go for a good lipstick. 

Benefit Fake Up Concealer

Benefit Fake Up Concealer is an under eye concealer than is moisturising yet long lasting without creasing.  This is a stick concealer that has the pigmentation as the core of the product with a coating of moisturiser around the outside.  There are three shades which is not the best range but as this is an under eye concealer you should try to use a shade that is one or two shades lighter than your skintone so you can get away with not the perfect shade.

The concealer itself I find to be creamy with a light coverage that blends beautifully.  I usually use my fingers to apply as I find the warmth of my fingers helps blend the product.  Generally this is a lovely concealer and does last a good few hours without creasing, apart from in the corners of my eyes.  I don't know why, and I have tried with and without powder, but this concealer always creases or clogs in the very inner corner of my eye which is so annoying.  Due to my dark circles, this concealer is a tad too light coverage for me but is nice to lighten under my eyes to make me look more awake.

Benefit normally scores high marks for their packaging as it is cute and fun.  The outer cardboard packaging is okay however the stick itself feels so cheap.  I really do not like tacky the plastic tube and whenever I twist the bottom I always expect it to come off in my hands. At £18.50 I don't think this is Benefit's star product and I wouldn't repurchase.  I bought this online without trying it out first so it hasn't put me off Benefit products I will just be a more careful about buying online.

Let me know if you have tried Benefit's Fake Up concealer and your thoughts.

The Christmas Tag

1. Do you prefer a real or a synthetic tree?

We always had a real tree up until a few years ago, with a real tree I love the smell and the whole saga about which tree to get. But to be honest I don't miss getting the needles stuck in my foot when I go downstairs in the middle of the night to get a drink.  Always when you least expect it!  So probably synthetic you always know it's going to fit in the front room.

2.You're in a coffee shop it's December, what do you pick?

Ooh interesting, I really want to try the Black Forest Hot Chocolate from Costa.  I'll Instagram it if I get a chance to try it ;)

3.What's your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree?

I really like red and gold they seems the most festive to me.  But I like to have odd little ornaments scattered around the tree such as my homemade bauble that I designed when I was 8.  My mum always puts it to the back but I try to sneak it forward every year.  Also there has always been a strict ban in my house, no tinsel on the tree.  My mum is a true Christmas tree snob, and she admits it :) So I cannot wait for when I own my own tree, there is going to be tinsel of all the colours of the rainbow on it. (Sorry mum)

4. Giving or Receiving?

Who can say they don't like receiving presents? But then again, who can say they don't enjoy the look on that person's face when they open up the gift that you have given them?  Now I am older and work full time, I spend so much of my free time researching and organising presents, it's the reason I now get excited for Christmas. Cringe, let's move on.

5. To Mince pie or not?

Sadly I hate mince pies, I try them every year thinking that someone may have reinvented them, but no it never happens.   It doesn't stop me from enjoying all the other obligatorily biscuits, sweets and chocolates that come with Christmas.  Jheez Christmas is such hard work.

6. What's Your Traditional Christmas Lunch?

Turkey and all the trimmings, and every year my mum cooks too much.  Once my dad bought a turkey that was bigger than the oven, there are only four of us.

7. Christmas Day Fashion?

Pajamas! This year I plan to wear my festive fleece pajama bottoms with my polar bear Christmas jumper.  Would never believe I work in fashion.

8. What's Your Favourite Christmas Song?

Driving home for Christmas, I think it comes from my love of American Christmas films.  They always play that song when the dad can't make it home in time, or so they think!

9. What's Your Favourite Christmas Film?

Miracle on 34th Street, the 1994 one. Need I say more?

10. Open Presents Before or After Lunch?

Before! Before! If I ever make it till I'm old and grey, I still will never sleep the night before Christmas.  I don't know how anyone does.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

I haven't really spoken about Lush on my blog that much, compared to how much I love their products. I have been branching out and dipping my toe into the skincare whirlpool.  I say whirlpool because I know I am going to get sucked into their face masks and other lovely goodies.

Anyway, my nails have been in need of some serious TLC as of late, so I dug this little gem out of my skincare drawer.  Lush describe Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, as a super-thick cream choc full of rich ingredients.  This feels so luxurious it is so creamy and thick and then as you massage it in turns into an oil. Because it turns into an oil it sinks quickly into the skin but you can still feel it working its magic.  I wouldn't usually be flaunting my nails about the internet but I think they are looking by far the best for a long time.  You don't just have to use the product on cuticles, the oil is designed to help very dry skin, which can be elbows, knees or even feet. 

Like always I have to comment on the scent, especially when it comes to Lush, this smells amazing.  It smells like sweet lemon tart and like other Lush products the scent doesn't fade as soon as you apply it to the skin which makes me look so weird when I go around smelling my fingers every 2 minutes. I also have to mention I have being using this everyday for months and there isn't even a dent in the amount of product.  A little definitely goes a long way and for £6.50 for 50g  I will keep repurchasing this product until they discontinue it.

Blogmas and Beauty Advent Calendar

So today is the first day of blogmas where I will being posting everyday up until Christmas day.  These will include Christmas wishlists, makeup and outfit posts for over the Christmas period as well as my usual reviews on all things beauty related.

Also I purchased the 24 Days of Beauty Treats advent calendar so remember to follow me on Instagram to see what is behind each door! 

I hope you are all getting into the festive spirit and cannot wait for Christmas morning.  

Bourjois Bronzing Primer

Yes just as you thought you had heard the last of this little gem, I am putting it right back out there. I have been using this for a while now so I wanted to add my two cents in as I have tried various ways of using this product.  I prefer to use this as a bronzer on top of my foundation to creating a laying effect which prolongs my makeup.  I have never found this to become cakey or look too much, as I find it can get lost when using it under foundation.  The bronzer is soft and glides smoothly onto the skin.  The texture for me is quite weird as it starts as a liquid mousse and then as it blends it thickens to become more mousse-like and leaves a lovely finish.

The packaging is smaller than expected, compared to it's Soleil Tan de Chanel rival, can be a bit of a disappointment.  However it is a third of the price and I personally do not think the texture nor purpose of the two products are the same. Though I was a bit worried as I thought it could be too yellow or muddy like for me, I actually think the pigmentation is lost as it is blended in, so do not let the shade in the pot put you off.  I will also be using this in the summer as it is perfect for adding that little bit of a tan and creating a beautiful even complexion.

Can be bought in Boots for £9.99, and at the moment there is the 3 for 2 offer across all makeup brands.  Also it smells like chocolate.

Fashion Haul

Hope you are all well guys, I've missed you.

So while I have been MIA I may have done a bit of shopping.  I thought you might want a peek at the goodies that I picked up in Topshop, New Look, ASOS and of course Primark!  Pop over to my YouTube channel to check it out, and don't forget to leave me a comment to let me know what your favourite thing in the haul is.

Also I have some right cracking reviews coming up for you this month, so keep your eyes peeled for them. 

ELF Studio Blush

As you can see, I have three ELF studio blushes in Peachykeen, Candid Coral and Tickled Pink.  There are 11 shades within the range and contain 4.75g of product.  Packaging wise I think ELF have modeled themselves on NARS, so its all very sleek and sophisticated.  Three years ago these were actually the blushes that started off my obsession with cheek products, and I have never looked back.  I love the pigmentation and how soft the texture is.  Apparently some shades are a bit hit and miss, but I personally haven't found that with the ones I own.  I think they have a good longevity, and blend well into the skin to give a nice glowing look.  I believe that all the shades contain some form of shimmer, though it doesn't transfer onto the skin in Tinkled Pink's case.  ELF is definitely putting their prices up, because when I bought these I think I paid £2.50 each, now they retail for £3.75.  It's not a make or break amount and is still a very good price for the quality of this product, also ELF always have discount codes floating about.  The Gotta Glow shade is meant to be a lovely highlight, so it is on my list for my next order.  

L'Oréal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

I knew it wouldn't be long, but there is now a high street version of the infamous Bioderma cleanser. Available at Boots and other high street stores for around the £5 mark, though I have noticed various offers around at the moment.  Yes the name is a mouthful, but I assume everyone will soon know about this product.

I haven't tried Bioderma myself, so I cannot compare the two products. Though I will say that I really do not have the urge to purchase Bioderma as I absolutely love this cleanser.  This miceller solution looks and feels just like water.  It doesn't have a scent and so is suitable for sensitive skin.  My eyes get sore very easily, even with sensitive products but this has not caused me any irritation what so ever.  I am also so happy to report that this removed waterproof mascara like a dream.  L'Oreal claims that this cleanser dissolves makeup, unclogs pores, removes impurities and tones and soothes skin.  I don't know if I agree with these completely, but I do know that it removes my makeup perfectly and leaves my skin soft ready for the remainder of my skin routine.

My only issue with this product is that due to its consistency I always pour too much on to the cotton pad meaning that I am using more than I need so it does run out quickly.  But for the quality and price of this cleanser, I will definitely be recommending and repurchasing this product as a makeup remover for a very long time. Good job L'Oreal! 

Graduation

I have spent 16 years in full time education, and on July 18th I threw my hat in the air to mark the rest of my life in the big wide world.  Though I have had jobs before including 9 to 5, I have always fallen back into my student ways. Finding it perfectly acceptable to be drunk midweek and napping whenever I see fit.  Sadly (yet hopefully) those days are behind me.

I spent three years living away from home and looking after myself.  University is not solely about the grade that you leave with, it is about the person you become and the life experience that cannot be found in any textbook.  I wish to remember university as the fun, enjoyable, party that it is perceived as.  I am so lucky to have a supportive family, group of friends and boyfriend that helped me through the times that they forgot to mention at the open day. 

My advice is to study a course you love.  You will live, breathe and sleep the subject you choose so make sure it is one that you know you won't regret.  I still cannot believe I sit here with a degree in Financial Economics BSc where my research essay was about makeup. I am proof that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation is the new kid on the block these days.  This was a massive hit when it was released a few months ago.  Sadly, I tried it out and I didn't understand the hype.  I have since got a tan (ish) and decided to dip my toe into the Nearly Naked pool once more.  My gripe with this foundation to start with was that to me the coverage was just too low that I really didn't think it did anything.  Even now I still don't think it does a lot, however, I now appreciate that fact.  On some days I don't want a heavy mask covering my face, I just want to iron out some kinks. This is a really natural looking foundation so is perfect for a summers day especially as it contains SPF 20. Longevity is good and blends evenly into the skin. Packaging wise I am not a fan of the white lid, I think it looks a little cheap, and there is no pump. Why Revlon, why? The bottle is made of glass which I think a lot of people would like, but for me I worry about it spilling or breaking as I travel a lot.  All in all I am glad I tried this foundation out, for £8.99 I think it is a good foundation.