Wednesday 31 December 2014

THE NUDES YOU NEED

Ive done a couple of posts here and here about my new found love for nude lipstick after overcoming the idea of them not suiting me. And since then, well its clear Ive managed to become a bit of a hoarder..



Maybelline Colour Drama in Nude Perfection: My favourite of them all. A creamy texture with a non-drying matte finish in the form of a pencil. Its a super convenient product to chuck in your handbag on the way out the door and it is so easy to apply you wont even need a mirror.

Topshop Lipstick in Mink: This is definitely the darkest of the three, but it has a silky consistency and a gorgeous almost matte colour payoff that for such a low price I couldn't help but get one for myself when I was buying it as someones Christmas Present! (not sorry)

Maybelline Colour Sensational in Rosewood Pearl: Finaaallly, I dont usually like sheer, glossy lipsticks but for the days when you just want something different and dont have to worry about it smudging or bleeding then this will be your best friend. It doesn't last very long but I wouldn't expect it to with it being such a lightweight formula.

What are your favourite nudes?

Charlotte x




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Monday 29 December 2014

TINY TEA


I recently got my hands on some Tiny Tea* and being a stereotypical Brit I jumped at the opportunity to review it. Tiny Tea claims to assist with bloating, indigestion, problematic skin, cellulite and tonnes more of that glamorous stuff, whilst promising that a percent of every sale is donated to carefully selected charities each month.

I had five tea bags to start myself off with and unlike most of products claiming to do the same thing, its quite tasteless, kind of a cross between a weak green tea and nettle tea. I've been drinking this in a morning with my breakfast and I've noticed I no longer get that 10 o'clock rumbling tummy but no drastic changes. Thankfully I havent had any side effects from this tea, as most similar products have been known to literally flush you out, (TMI sorry) but I never had this problem.

I took a before and after picture of my 5 day detox and can't see that much of a difference. It made breakfast more interesting but I probably won't be purchasing the full detox box simply because of the price.

Have you tried any detox teas before?

Charlotte x
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Wednesday 24 December 2014

NOT YOUR AVERAGE CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST

After listening to constant Christmas songs at work since mid November, I decided to share with you the playlist Ive put together for Christmas day, when I head back to my mums to spend some quality time with my family. It's not filled with cheesy festive songs like most other playlists, just easy listening music. Spotify is a great way to create playlists for free, but if you pay you can use it offline without any adverts which is ideal for the car or when with friends so you can quickly search a song, artist or album and play it instantly.


Dont forget to enter my Rayban giveaway for a little treat in the New year, and follow me on Instagram for (slightly) more festive updates over the next few days.

Charlotte x

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Monday 22 December 2014

RAYBAN GIVEAWAY



As a big thank you for all your lovely comments and followings throughout this year I decided to do a giveaway for these Rayban sunglasses*. They're brand new from Shade Station and you just have to follow the steps below to enter. This giveaway is open until the 31st of January but is UK only - sorry!

1. Follow me on Bloglovin
2. Follow me on Instagram
3. Follow me on Twitter
4. Leave a comment on this post with your links and email address telling me why you should win.

Big hugs and a massive thank you. Have a lovely Christmas :)

Charlotte x
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Friday 19 December 2014

GATSBY INSPIRATION

This year is the one where me and most of my friends turn 21, and in January sees the turn of one of my closest friends Emma. The theme has been set as Great Gatsby and we have had months of notice however I'm only now looking for a dress and deserve a slap on the wrist. There are tonnes of great places to find flapper style/1920s themed dresses but I need your help to narrow down my options from the ones below. (Ive even managed to persuade my boyfriend into wearing semi co-ordinated outfits when I find one!)



If any of you have been to this kind of party before please leave links to where you got your outfits in the comments! Follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with my hunt.

Charlotte x


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Wednesday 17 December 2014

PAUL MITCHELL




At the start of the month I received the Paul Mitchell Dry Wash* and I can't believe I haven't posted about it sooner. It doesn't have that powdery, white sticky texture that most Dry Shampoos have - instead its clear and comes out as a watery mist. Its perfect for when I dont have time to wash my hair, I used it last Friday and Im only having to wash my hair today - on Wednesday! Its also great for when I've just washed my hair, I pop a bit near my roots and it just gives me a bit of texture and volume. It's ideal for fine hair and doesn't weigh it down which is a lifesaver for me and my limp hair..

Go follow me on Instagram if you don't already, hopefully I can get to 600 followers before 2015 :)

Charlotte x

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Monday 15 December 2014

VIRTUE




This is probably the least seasonally appropriate product to be reviewing when the temperature here in the North East is around 4 degrees. But when I work 5 days a week in what feels like an oven (even when its snowing outside), Im always on the hunt for light and refreshing drinks.

This Virtue Ice Tea* in Strawberry & Peach is naturally sweetened so isn't as sickly as most Ice Teas but its super fresh and is so much better for you than regular Ice Teas that use a tonne of sugar, and with only 63 calories per can there's no need to feel guilty. As far as Im aware they only have 2 flavours, Strawberry & Peach and Lemon but hopefully they release some more so I can stock up for the warmer weather!

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts.

Charlotte x
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Friday 12 December 2014

PINSPIRATION

Ive always been a huge fan of home decor which I partly thank my mum for as she was always painting the house different colours literally every month when I lived at home. And since I moved out with my friend back in September Ive realised how excited I am to decorate my next property and to just make it my own. I've seen all sorts of bloggers posting things from Pinterest and I never really understood the hype but its a lifesaver! I can spend unhealthy amounts of time constantly scrolling through looking for inspiration for all kinds of things from home decor, style and even hair cut ideas ready to take to the hairdressers. I thought I would share with you my current festive themed home decor board in hope it gives you as much excitement as it does me.



(All images are from Pinterest and do not belong to me)

Go follow me on Pinterest here for more pins, and stay up to date with my posts via Bloglovin.

Charlotte x
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Wednesday 10 December 2014

IM SO NANSHY



I recently attended the Hull Blogger meet up, held at Fudge on Princes Avenue and was lucky enough to meet tonnes of amazing local bloggers. One of the brands that got involved was Nanshy, the creators of some of the most gorgeous synthetic make up brushes that are completely against animal testing and never use animal hair.

Im now the proud owner of the Blending brush* and Im being serious that only after one use I am obsessed! The bristles are sooo soft and they apply product so evenly without dropping any hairs. The big test for me is seeing how well they wash because that usually indicates how long they will last. I can't wait to try more of their products, next on my list is definitely the Conceal Perfector brush.

Have you tried any Nanshy brushes before?

Charlotte x
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Friday 5 December 2014

THE EVERYDAY FACE



So in the past ive shown you a couple of "whats on my face recently" or "my current make up faves" kind of posts, but never shown you the actual result of those products. Soooo, here is just a sneak peak at my current quick go-to make up style which ive managed to master in under twenty minutes!

Im currently typing this before I pop to town to get some bits and bobs for Christmas decorations - so if you have any questions about what I have on my very average face leave them in the comments and I'll reply to them all.

Don't forget to go follow me on Bloglovin.

Charlotte x
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Wednesday 3 December 2014

ESSIE DISAPPOINTMENT


Only the other day you saw me singing the praises of Essie polishes here, after buying Mind Your Mittens, and how I finally understood the hype. So I popped back to town and picked up Cocktails and Coconuts - again for only £3.99, and as you can imagine, I got home and couldn't wait to try it. I fully prepped my nails and even pushed the boat out and used a base coat (fancy). Just like my other Essie polish it applied like a dream and although the colour wasn't as great as I imagined it still looked lovely. All was well until after a full day on a training course from work I returned home to find some serious chipping damage. Not a happy bunny. I really want to know if anyone else had this problem with Cocktails and Coconuts or is it just me? Maybe with an even fancier topcoat next time and a bit more TLC it might last longer. Im determined to make this work and add it to my ever growing nude polish collection.

Charlotte x
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Monday 1 December 2014

WRAPPING UP WITH ASOS

If you follow me on Instagram you'll see that I only recently bought my winter coat for this year at a mere £7.50 from a local charity shop. Of course this then leads me to lust over all the coats on Asos and surprise surprise they seem to make their way to my saved items list. Here are a few im currently desperate to order to ensure im marginally warmer this year in sunny Hull..


Navy Coat / Grey Longline Coat / River Island Camel coat / Leather Cagoule / Quilted coat  

Charlotte x
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Friday 28 November 2014

MY TOP PICKS UNDER £10




Max Factor 2000 calorie mascara: This is by far one of the best mascaras ive ever used, it works wonders for my lashes and I cant keep track of how many people ive recommended this to! I did a mini comparison review here if youre interested on my opinion of it compared to more pricey mascaras.

Essie Mind Your Mittens: I picked up this Essie polish for a mere £3.99 from TK MAXX and as the perfect deep teal colour I couldn't not feature it in this post. Dark colours dont usually suit my nails but this is definitely an exception, this is my first Essie purchase and I am now understanding the hype around the formula and gorgeous colour range. These would make such a perfect little stocking filler, especially if you can get them for a discounted price!

Angled Tweezers (similar): I think I got these from Superdrug, but im sure any other drug store angled tweezers will be equally as good. I've had these bad boys for a few months now and used them for plucking my eyebrows (obviously) and to tidy up after waxing and they are still yet to blunt. I think these set me back no more than £3.50 and I heavily suggest you go get yourself a pair.

Maybelline FIT me Foundation: If youve been following me for a while you'll know I've raved about this foundation  a million times but it's just soooo good, I currently use it in combination with the MAC Pro Longwear concealer and it works a dream as a fuller coverage foundation. I did a full review of them both here.

Eco Tools taped blush brush: Eco Tools are a brand that are new to me but I cant believe Ive ever lived without this brush. Their range of brushes are super soft and applie product so evenly, plus they come up so clean and dont shed when washed - winner winner.

I'd love to hear what your favourite products are for under £10 in the comments, and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin!

Charlotte x




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Wednesday 26 November 2014

SCHEDULING SAVES LIVES



I have no excuse for this and im sure im not the only one that schedules at least 80% of their posts. I have a craaaazy hectic life at the minute and trying to balance my work life, social life, relationship and be committed to this blog is so much harder than I expected. So just a quick one to say don't feel guilty about hitting that schedule button more times than you should, if it means you have 2 weeks of posts ready and waiting to go then so be it, just don't forget to keep up with emails and social media.

Follow me on Bloglovin to stay updated.

Charlotte x
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Friday 21 November 2014

CLINIQUE EXFOLIATING SCRUB



To say that before Autumn this year I had rarely used any Clinique products, they've had quite a lot of limelight on my blog recently - see my previous posts here and here. This however is by far my favourite product of all. Their Exfoliating Scrub* is to die for. Hear me out before the "exfoliators are all the same" comments, Im aware it cant be drastically different to regular high street products, but the thickness is comparable to a face mask that easily buffs it into your skin and instantly leaves it feeling smoother and plumper. It claims to be great for oily skin types which at the minute is a savior for my T-Zone, and I've not found it to be drying as long as I use my regular moisturizer afterwards. 

What are your thoughts on high end exfoliators, are they worth the price tag?

Charlotte x
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Wednesday 19 November 2014

SPY LOVE BUY PT. 2

Back in late August I featured a Spy Love Buy wishlist here after stumbling across their website, and its safe to say I did not anticipate how cold it would be already here in the UK so I thought I would provide you with a more up to date (and more practical) list of their pieces I am currently lusting over. They have a huge range of shoes available for the colder months and they look like amazing quality for the price you're paying.

If you, like me can't help yourself to new shoes this winter make sure you tag them on Instagram @spylovebuy and tell them I sent you!



Charlotte x



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Monday 17 November 2014

BODY SHOP SHEA SHOWER CREAM



In this months Glamour magazine I received a Body Shop gift card with the possibility of it being worth £3-£100, this time I only got the £3 one but with this shower cream only at £4 it only set me back by one single pound! Its not too heavily scented but has just the right consistency and lather to make up the perfect body wash.

Have you tried any of the other shower creams?

Charlotte x
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Friday 14 November 2014

SHEINSIDE BASICS

I can never quite bring myself to order a lot of things at once from Sheinside, firstly because they take so long to arrive and secondly because if they aren't good quality or you don't like them you either have to send them back (which is the biggest pain in the world) or find a friend to take them off your hands. One thing you can guarantee though, is the good quality of their basic pieces - so although I do have an order on its way I thought I would share with you a few basics I currently have on my wishlist.




Have you ever tried anything from Sheinside?

Charlotte x

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Wednesday 12 November 2014

DARK NUDE LIP W/ RIMMEL





I'm late on the bandwagon, I know.. But I've been wanting to attempt the Kylie Jenner nude lip for a while now, but without turning to MAC like everyone else. I've had this Rimmel lipstick in number 08 from the old Kate Moss collection and I think I've used it once then removed it before leaving the house, it just didn't suit me at all. But now I think I've upped my make up game and researched make up trends without just attempting it blind I've found a dark "nude" lip that I adore using only 2 products. As mentioned, the first product is the Rimmel 08 lipstick and I know this might sound strange but I used my Rimmel eyebrow pencil as a lip liner and buffed it onto my lips so it wasn't so obvious. I'm aware there is probably a brown lip liner available but I don't use the eyebrow pencil anymore, and I have no need to spend extra money.

I read and reply to the majority of comments so leave your thoughts on this look below and don't forget to link your blog too.

Charlotte x
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Monday 10 November 2014

THE PERFECT WINTER SKIN COMBO





I know not long ago I slated the MAC Pro Longwear concealer in this post here, but something came over me the other day as I wondered what it would be like used mixed in with my current foundation. I was going for a fuller coverage foundation rather than a using it as a regular concealer and it works a dream! Im super happy with the results and its bought my foundation down a shade too which means I wont have to go and buy a lighter shade for the cold and slightly paler months - yay!

What are your thoughts on blending two products?

Charlotte x

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Friday 7 November 2014

FIRST CAR ESSENTIALS

This post is a little different to the usual but if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I recently got my first car! (..yes I did pass my test nearly 3 years ago) and as most of my readers are the same age as myself I thought I would put together a little essentials post if any of you are looking into buying your first car or if you have your test coming up soon.






My first and favourite purchase is this MiTech dual USB in car charger. As you all know, iPhone battery life is the worst thing since semi transparent leggings. This charger has two USB ports allowing you to charge two phones at once, from one device - genius. Now, I wouldn't be a stereotypical Brit if I didn't love a good cup of tea before I go to work would I? And if it means drinking on the go then so be it. I picked up this travel cup from TK Maxx (similar) and it has been a God send. No spillage problems and my cuppa is still the perfect temperature for my entire journey!

Next, we all know its a hard life being female and the worst time to wear those uncomfortable new Primark shoes you just bought - is when you're driving. I cant stress enough how important it is to have a comfy pair in your car because you never know how long you're going to be on the road for. My faves are these dusty pink skater shoes from Malatan, I did a small review of them here.

And lastly I've found that having a little jar for loose change really makes a difference. All those naughty little McDonalds trips (not guilty) that leave you with the odd bit of change and every time you find some coins rolling about in the footwell all add up! Its not long before there's £5 worth in there and you can put it towards your petrol for what feels like free!

Have you got any tips or must have items for a first car?

Charlotte x

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Wednesday 5 November 2014

PREP + PRIME

For those of you that know me personally you'll be aware that I have a love hate relationship with primers. I love the idea of them and the possibility of longer lasting make up but I've never been able to find a good one until I got a tester of MACs Prep + Prime with an order a while back. I dabbled in it and wasn't that bothered until I received another tester in an order and found myself using it daily and applying it before I even considering which foundation to use. 

The Prep + Prime has a really lightweight feel to it, initially I couldn't decide weather it was greasy or just really smooth but I think its both. Its super hydrating on the dryer areas of my face but its also gentle on my slightly oily T-Zone. It's not a huge miracle worker that makes my make up last for 24 hours but it does add about 3 hours to the general wear of my make up. Being in the industry I'm in, its great news if anything makes my make up stick through the day/night and I still look presentable when I crawl back into bed at home.




Have you tried Prep + Prime?

Charlotte x
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Monday 3 November 2014

IF ITS NOT BLACK OR WHITE, ITS GREY

After an impulse purchase from Tesco the other week in hope for some new work clothes I grabbed this top here. Once I got it home and received a tonne of compliments about the shade its all I seem the be gravitating towards at the minute, anything grey - I want it. Here's a few of my faves that have caught my eye recently.


How would you style these items?

Charlotte x
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Friday 31 October 2014

TEA TREE MIRACLES




If you've followed my blog for a while now you might remember me talking about the Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Lotion here, and how much I had fallen in love with it. So I returned to The Body Shop not long ago in order to try some more bits from their range, and came home with the Skin Clearing Facial Wash and the Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser.

My face is my worst enemy at the moment with the weather and my diet changing especially since I've moved out (pizza is the answer to all life problems) so I thought it was a good time to give the Foaming Cleanser a go. It's said to reduce excess oil and minimize breakouts and it has done exactly that, I only  use this 3 times a week as I worry it might dry me out if used daily but so far so good.

Onto the Facial Wash, I hope I'm not alone when I say I regularly become victim to those tiny pesky little unnecessary pimples on the top of my back and I tried everything from a shower loofah to an exfoliating scrub but nothing has worked quite as well as this, I know its meant for facial use but it works so well on my back they haven't returned for about 2 weeks - win!

Have you tried any similar products to the Tea Tree range?

Charlotte x

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Wednesday 29 October 2014

HIGH STREET VS. HIGH END

Admittedly, I've never been one of those people always wanting to try the most raved about products. But whilst I managed not to get caught up in the Benefit They're Real hype, I got slightly attached to my trusty Max Factor 2000 Calorie and my Sephora mascara. However, after receiving this Clinique mascara* curiosity got the better of me and I decided to set aside my high street mascaras and hope for amazing results.




The product itself is great, I've used it with a different mascara wand and it worked perfectly but teamed with the little plastic bristles from Clinique it doesn't do anything for my lashes. I'll most probably keep it as a back up and maybe try it again in a few months time but for now it's going back in my stash.

What are your opinions on high street vs high end?

Charlotte x

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Friday 24 October 2014

LOSING MY TARTE VIRGINITY

Thanks to Estee` I have been craving Tarte products for several months now, and as far as I'm aware it isn't available in the UK which sucks. As mentioned in a previous post, my dad went to the US a while back and as any other blogger would do I sent him off with a list of things I wanted to try. The Tarte Smooth Operator finishing powder being one of them and boy I was not disappointed. P.s look away now if you fear unclean make up brushes... (not sorry)






The Smooth Operator powder is a loose, translucent powder used to improve the longevity of make up and add a matte finish. At first I applied only a little with my Real Techniques Powder brush, as I was aiming for a more glowy finish rather than matte but after adding a little more it provides the perfect coverage without looking cakey. This might sound weird, but after reading that "90% of women saw an immediate improvement in skin texture" I applied a full face of make up, finished off with the powder and stroked my face, (cringe) and it felt incredible!! My skin felt smooth and silky as if I had just washed off an intense night mask. If anything can keep my make up on through a hot and sweaty shift at work it's this bad boy. I've never been so impressed with a powder, and I'm interested to see how long it lasts before I need to repurchase. 

Have you tried any Tarte products before?

Charlotte x

 
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