Monday 1 December 2014

Christmas wishlist!

£29.99, Beautychamber.co.uk
Every time when Christmas comes round family and friends ask me what I want for Christmas and I never know what to say. I should probably think about it a little more, so I did, and below are the things I would love for Christmas!

The first thing is the Real Technique brushes Sam's picks, I've never had any really good quality brushes, I believe them to a be an investment so I want know I'm getting some good ones. These brushes are truly beautiful, maybe I'll get them as a Christmas present to myself. We'll see, they seem to be sold out nearly everywhere which sucks!


£15.00, Debenhams
The next thing is completely different. I'm homeware obsessed, that is no secret. We have nearly completely kitted out of house, and we do have all the essentials but some rooms are still not exactly what I'd called finished and still needs finishing touches. To be perfectly honest I'd love anything home related but I do have my heart set on getting some pictures for the walls in the living room because they feel slightly bare.


Jane strappy dress £10, boohoo.com
Now for a fashion item. Boohoo is both my nemesis and my best friend. I love glancing at the dresses on their website. Currently I have my eyes set on quite a few, may the be for Christmas day or New Years eve. I feel like I'm always in need of another dress and then another, then another. I guess I'll never have enough! This dress in particular is what I want to wear on New Years Eve, and then most probably go a little all out on glitter, since it is New Years Eve after all. It's plain so I have that option, last year my outfit was the glitter so I had to keep my make-up more neutral.

I'd love anything Lush! I've been meaning to get there and buy some products to take on our lovely snowy nights away to Austria. Right now I have my eye on so many different things, I just can't choose! Honestly anything from Lush would be perfect. Look at the Luxury pud, it's so pretty, it would make my bath a beautiful rainbow too!
Luxury pud, £3.50

These are the things I have my eyes on right now, it's not the longest list but honestly it's the only things I can think of, this week is going to be pretty busy and the Clothes Show Live is on Saturday which I am super excited about. That being said I want to try and keep up with posting on both here and my instagram.


Love Sarah





Sunday 30 November 2014

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!



I'm back, it feels super weird to have not posted anything in weeks but life just got on top of me. During the time I was gone we put up our Christmas decorations and since the 1st of December is tomorrow what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by doing a post dedicated to them. Our colour scheme this year is Red, Blue, white and grey/silver and I'm totally loving it. 





I'm hoping to put some more pictures up of my super cosy living room, and also do a Christmas series but we'll see I can just see December being super busy! 

Love Sarah








Monday 10 November 2014

My make-up story.

1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup? 
I was around 11 or 12 when I started wearing it. I used to dance when I was younger so I wore it for that.


2. How did you get into makeup?
Originally I would just wear it for dance but I became really interested and it went from there. 


3. What are some of your favorite brands? 
I love Benefit! I am also a really big fan of Rimmel and Collection, their products are amazing and so cheap. 


4. What does makeup mean to you? 
It gives me that extra boost of confidence, when I was younger I heavily relied on it but I've became much more confident now.

5. If you could only wear 4 products on your face what would they be? 
Concealer, mascara, blush and any lip product. I like having a good base even if I don't wear must make-up, I also really like to have a little colour on my lips as it makes me look more pulled together.


6. What is your favorite thing about makeup? 
It makes me feel more confident, and amazing how it can make women feel good about themselves. It can also really show individuality. 

7. What do you think about drugstore makeup vs. high end makeup?

I like both, I mostly wear drugstore with a little bit of high end make-up here and there. I like to stick to the same products that I know work well for me and so I don't like to pay out in case I really don't like them.
 
8. What is one tip of advice you can give a beginner?  

Less is more! There's nothing worse than cakey fondation and over filled in brows. It's supposed to emphasise your features not hide them.

9. What is one makeup trend you never understood? 

I never understood the unblended eyeshadows, the rainbows on the eyes. I just don't understand. I like to blend.

10. What do you think about the beauty community on Youtube?

I think it's great! I love learning about new products, and watching tutorials to get new ideas. Some of them are really talented.


Have you done this tag? If not you should, I'd love to read it.

Love Sarah

Sunday 9 November 2014

My most used apps!



























Since getting my phone around 9 months ago I was obsessed with downloading apps. It seems this day that there is a app for everything these days. 

The app I probably use the most is Instagram! I love looking at pictures that my friends and the people I follow post. It's just a really easy way to keep in touch. I always seem to post pictures of my food when it looks pretty.


The next app that I really love it Pact. I've talked about this app before, and I use to to ensure that I do a certain amount of exercise a week. Per 'workout' you get paid an amount which is variable from week to week. I have probably made about £30-40 from this app although I do primarily use it to stay healthy. You can also log your meals, using Fitness Pal. There's also the Veggie pact, which I use to make sure I do ate a certain amount of veg. Being a student eating healthily isn't always my first priority! 


Another app I use to stay healthy and no just live off of the normal student diet is Yummly. I love this app! It's like a massive cookbook, I just search for a recipe or browse the popular ones and then save them into sub-categories. You can then add the ingredients from the recipe onto a shopping list. The recipes on this app come from all over the internet and all over the world. I use it if I have very few things in my fridge and I want to make something out of them.


Everyone hates waking up in the morning, especially on a Monday! I use the Sleep Time app to help with this. It analysis your sleep and wakes you up when your are in light sleep. This means less mornings where I have to drag myself out of the bed. It's also just really interesting to see how you slept.    



These are the four apps that I pretty much use the most. What app can you not live without? I'm always interested in downloading more.

Love Sarah





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Saturday 8 November 2014

Mini Christmas Haul!


Everyone knows Christmas is expensive! The decorations, the food and the presents... Being a student I can't exactly afford to splash the cash so Poundland becomes my best friend. They always seem to have great stuff for a fraction of the price. The first thing I bought is a massive mug, it's seriously such a great size for hot chocolate or even soup. I'd never been in Poundworld before as it had recently opened but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. It's hand painted which means no two mugs and the same and I love having a big cup of tea in the money, it's just the best way to start the day! There's also a matching bowl and plate. 

The next thing I bought is a set of three candles from Poundland, they come in the scents; Apple and Cinnamon, Fresh Linen and French Vanilla and they are really nice. We're currently burning the Apple and Cinnamon. 

The last thing we bought is two sets of snowflake window stickers. Now these are amazing! These would be great if you're living in halls and want to decorate for Christmas but not do any damage. You just clean the surface and then place the snowflake on whilst it is still damn and ta-da you have really cute windows. I've done both our bedroom and living room and I have a few left to do the kitchen.

We've recently placed a massive Matalan order and when that arrives in a few days we hope to get decorating and get the tree up, and then when we've got everything out that we already have we'll go back to poundland and get the last few things that we need. The 99p store has some amazing tinsel that I really want to wrap around the bansisters, and Poundland also has some really adorable baubles and garlands too!


Love Sarah



  

Friday 7 November 2014

Frugal Fridays!

Tumblr source.

It's time for another Frugal Friday. I don't think I'll ever run out of tips to give especially since I'm still learning new ways to save money now!

The first one is to get every card possible that you can collect points on, it may seem like the points don't amount to much but I've managed to get multiple 'free lunches' with my Superdrug and Boots card. I also got a £1.50 off a £15 purchase with my nectar card and I know Tesco clubcard also have similar deals. It may not see like much now but over time the points can really add up, and who doesn't love a few vouchers. I also have Subway card, Matalan card, Boux Avenue card to name a few. Especially if you already shop at the shops on a regular basis. They are also free sign up for!

Another tip is to shop the reduced food section in shops in the evenings, you'd be surprised what you can get for 14p and most of it can be frozen anyway. I was having a barbeque in July when we have moved in, and buying the food for barbeques can be quite expensive and so we planned ahead and bought things in June, buying ahead will save you money in the long run. Desserts are generally very also reduced and so it's great for a yummy little treat.

My last tip for this week is to buy from websites such as eBay or apps such as Depop. I have managed to buy brand new candles and clothes. What looks so great on in the shops may not look as good on at home and so a lot of the clothes still have their labels on. It's so easy to use, you just search for what you want and ta-da! I'm loving pastel clothes at the moment and so this is great for me. I also have bought a few bath and body work candles off Depop aswell as eBay for great value aswell as other things. It pays to search around. Depop also sells homemade items and they have some adorable shorts!

Love Sarah 


Thursday 6 November 2014

Winter Warmers! Free Starbucks!

Source 1
So Halloween is over and out are the Autumn Starbucks drinks and in are the Christmas ones. There's nothing like seeing the red cups and knowing it's nearly Christmas! I must admit for my Starbucks love is fairly new. Before I used to only buy drinks from Costa and honestly I do still love their drinks but I live slightly closer to Starbucks and so I've been going there more. 

They have four new red cup Christmas drinks, and they are all so different! I'm not the biggest fan of cinnamon or ginger which really sucks. Luckily for me they have four very different options!

First is the Gingerbread Latte, this is one for the Gingerbread lovers. It is said to be the flavour of a freshly baked gingerbread with espresso, steamed milk, whipped cream and nut meg.

Next is the Toffee Nut latte, this is beautiful sweet toffee topped with toasted nuts, espresso, steamed milk, whipped cream and yummy toffee nut sprinkles This is one that I would really love to try, maybe I'll grab a drink when I'm out tomorrow.

Then is the Eggnog Latte, this is a very traditional drink. I mean everyone knew Eggnog is the drink of Christmas. Its steamed eggnog mixed with espresso topped with ground nutmeg. 

Finally is the Honey and Almond Hot Chocolate which is what I had when I went to Starbucks recently and it was absolutely amazing, I have to admit I wasn't quite sure how I'd like Almond in a drink but it was really a lovely mix and not too sweet as I had feared. It's a mix of mocha and almond syrup blended with steamed milk and then drizzled with mocha and honey sauce. 

This voucher will get you a free tall drink, just print it off and bring it in. But be quick it's only valid until tomorrow.

This is a buy on get one voucher and is only valid between 2-5pm until November 9th on their festive favourites. 

I plan on doing a post about Costa too, because they do still have a very big place in my heart and I absolutely love their hot chocolates but there's haven't come out yet.

What's your favourite Christmas drink? I love trying new things!

Love Sarah





Wednesday 5 November 2014

Autumnal Nails!


Having freshly painted nails is one thing that I really love! I love changing them up for the season, may it be the Summer or Winter. These are my current favourites for this Autumn, there's the mix of purples and dark beautiful reds.

The first one is a dusky purple colour, it's by Barry M and it's called Berry Ice Cream. This colour looks a lot brighter than it actually is, and it's the kinda of colour you could really wear all year round. It's nice to add a bit of colour to a darker Autumn outfit. This bottle is nearly empty, just shows how much I love it!

Next is one called Ledbury Road by Nail Inc, and it's a metallic grey and it looks so beautiful. It's the kind of nail polish that looks different depending on the lighting and also the angle. It just adds a bit of glam to a plain outfit, and what better time to wear metallics than Autumn.

This warmer purple is from BeautyUk it's called Ultra violet It's definitely not the brightest of purples and is once again a darker version of the classic lilac nails. BeautyUk polishes are great value for money even if they don't last as long as some of my others do. That being said they do apply well.

I love this Ciate one it's a dusky pink with a warm tone which is perfect for fall, it's called Pocket Money. It's a nice alternative to a nude nail as it's in a similar shade but just darker. I love this when I don't want really bold out-there nails as it's subtle. The formula is really great too.

My deep red is Berry Cosmo by Barry M, I didn't realised they were both Berry shades! This is a deep burgundy red, great for this time of the year and just like some of the lipsticks I've been wearing recently.

And finally the bright red, this is one of the very few polishes I own from Essie. I'm pretty sure the colour is called Raspberry and it's so bright. The formula is great it applies really well, dries nicely and looks beautifully shiny.

What are you favourite nail polishes to wear this season? I'd love to add to my ridiculous collection.

Love Sarah 

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Spray Moisturisers: Soap & Glory vs Vaseline.

Spray moisturisers are becoming a big thing! A few years ago they barely existed, but now there are multiple on the market and they throwing up a storm. They are supposed to sink in super fast meaning you can get dressed and ready straight away. The main two that I've heard about are the Vaseline Spray & Go and the Girligo Spray-on body moisturising mist. Other than the fact they are both spray moisturisers they are completely different. 
 The Vaseline Spray & Go is the most talked about, when it was released everyone and their mother ran to the store to get it. This new amazing product that did things moisturizers hadn't done before. It comes in an aerosol can, in various different scents; Aloe Fresh, Cocoa Radiant and Essential Moisture which is the original. It retails for £4.99 for 190ml. I got mine on a deal in Costco. 


I find this goes everywhere, I may just be bad at controlling it or it may just be really variable but it seems to go literally everywhere. All over my clothes and any surfaces. It's probably because it's such a fine mist. 


Recently I discovered the Girligo. It actually was around years before. It retails for £6.50 for 250ml, which is slightly more expensive considering you only get 70 more ml. The packaging of these is beautiful like the rest of the Soap and Glory packaging. It's a spray bottle which is a lovely shape and looks lovely on a dressing table. It also has a lovely scent like the rest of the brand, I'm so bad at describing scents and unlike the Vaseline one it doesn't have the scent described on the bottle. I'd say it's a sweet, fresh smell, the original scent of Soap and Glory. Which is supposed to be a flirty scent.

Personally I really like it, the smell is really nice and I like how it's a light mist. I also like how it's in a plastic spray bottle as it means that you can ensure you dig every little bit out and use it all. The travel size is also really handy (that's the size I have). 

It's hard to say which is the better product. I like them both, for different reasons. I think the Girligo is better for on the go because of the packaging, I also prefer a more floral scent. In terms of moisturizing I think they both do a good job. Both companies are known for creating products that are super hydrating on the skin.


Personally I think that I prefer the girligo one, it just seems more luxurious and the scent is just more me. Have you tried either of these and what did you think of them? I'd love to know. 

Love From

Sarah

Monday 3 November 2014

What's in my shower? November 2014.

I've seen these posts floating around YouTube and Blogger so I figured I'd do one. I don't know about you but I'm super nosy and I love to know what products people use in the shower. I don't have much in my shower sadly, I'm not the type of person that uses 50 billion products. That being said my shower routine varies dependent on how long I have. 

I do like to have baths but lets be honest I'd rather spent the time in bed rather than getting ready in the morning. I do have selection of bath products that I use but that I'll be another post. It's also just much easier with all my hair to have a shower that being said here's my four essential products.

 The first product is Lush American Cream conditioner. It's amazing, the scent is so sweet. My boyfriend always tells me he can smell it my hair for ages afterwards. It's a thick consistency, and I find it really stops my hair from drying out. This is the biggest bottle and it costs £14.50 which is normally too much for me to spend on a conditioner but it's lasted for ages. It says it has lavender in it which is good for the scalp but I only use it on my ends as when I use conditioner on my scalp it makes it super oily and irritates it.






Next is the L'Oreal EverPure shampoo, my bottle is so messed up it seems they printed the label on wrong! Oh well it's still the same product. I like this shampoo because it has no sulphates, which I find great for my scalp. I have the Colourcare & moisture one because I've been using the L'Oreal Casting Sunkiss Jelly to make my hair blonder and I want to protect and repair it from the damage I've been doing. I find this shampoo doesn't leave build-up for me unlike a lot of other I've tried.


Now for body, I'm Soap and Glory obsessed so they are both from Soap and Glory. The first is Orangeasm Body Wash, before I'd been hooked on the Sugar Crush one but my boyfriend got this for me for our anniversary and I love it! I love the orangey smell and I find it really wakes me and makes me super duper cream which obviously want I want in a body wash. It's makes my skin soft too which is a plus. And the name is cheeky!


The last product is Scrub Of Your Life smoothing body scrub, this has a really great smell, and it actually works! I've use so many scrubs that either too abrasive and irritate my skin or do absolutely nothing at all. I use this on my elbows and knees and anywhere else that is dry, wash it off and I notice a different straight out of the shower. It's also great for when I'm fake tanning. This isn't the first scrub I've tried from Soap and Glory and I all the ones I've tried I've loved.

Thanks for reading, and getting an insight into my cleaning routine! You all should so one too, I love finding out about new products to try.

Love Sarah





Sunday 2 November 2014

Mini feel unique haul!

I'm a shopaholic, always wanting to buy new make-up and clothes but being a student I don't really have to funds for that kind of lifestyle. That being said recently feelunique.com had a code for if you spent £25 you got £10 off, a perfect opportunity to replace products that were running out and try a few new ones. I bought; Urban Decay De-slick setting spray, Yes to Cucumber towelettes and a mini John Freida blonde hairspray. I also bought a gift for a friend which has already been wrapped.

The Urban Decay De-slick setting spray is my favourite. I last bought it at the beginning of July and it lasted me for months and months. Originally I had decided it was too expensive but I was paying £5.99 for the Collection one which would last less than a week so it was definitely work investing it. I have considered trying the other Urban Decay setting sprays but right now I have one that works and that I love so I'm not in any rush. I may buy a mini one though for travelling.

The Yes to Cucumber towelettes look really cool, I've heard so much about them and so it made sense to buy a small packet in case my skin reacts to them. I've been using the Nivea ones for a really long time and so it's hard to sway me to try other brands because whenever I have my skin has broken out really bad. Even the Simple wipes my skin doesn't like. These wipes smell of cucumber and seem really moist, so they should do a good job at getting my make-up off, let's just hope they don't irritate my skin.

The last thing I bought is a mini John Freida blondes hairspray. I got this for a few reasons, firstly it had 5/5 star reviews. Also I'm pretty sure I used it before and loved it, the travel size is great for throwing in my handbag or my washbag for holidays as my other hairspray is massive. Once again if I hate it, I only spent a couple of pounds.

Love Sarah

Saturday 1 November 2014

It's back! Glamour Magazine & Nail Inc!

Every year for the last 4 years I've been building up quite a collection of Nails Inc London nail polishes, but not once have I paid full price. Their polishes are £11 or more and however much I love them I can't justify that! Every year around Christmas time Glamour magazine do one free with their magazine. I couldn't completely forgetton about this so you gotta imagine how happy I was when I saw it, I threw it in the basket, no questions asked.

Sadly one of the colours, 'Tate' they had last year but the other three are lovely. Two of them are Autumnal Wintery shades and one of them looks to be a metallic nude. None of these shades are on the website which is kinda annoying, and they seem to have the old round packaging. That being said they are still great polishes. The texture of them is amazing and the formula is very long lasting.

I got my magazine in the co-op so with student discount so it cost £1.80 which is amazing, I got the colour Wigmore Street which is a beautiful dark purple. I don't actually own a colour like this which is great. The magazine also contains The Body Shop 'little card of Christmas wishes' which they did last year. It is basically a card that could contain £3, £15, £100 or £1000. Obviously it's very unlucky you'll have £1000 but even so £3 is good enough for a little treat.

You should definitely keep your eyes out, because it's great deal!

Love Sarah



Friday 31 October 2014

Zoella Fizz Bar Review.


I always feel like my superdrugs are the last ones to get new stock in, so you can guess how excited I was when I saw the Zoella stand the other day. I've gotta admit I was kinda expecting more, she barely had a couple of shelves! That being said the packaging is very cute, the cream and pink with lace detail would look pretty in any bathroom. Don't even get me started on the make-up bags!

I knew I wanted to get one of her products but my bathroom is already overrun with shower gels and lotions so I decided on the Fizz Bar as it seemed really unique and different to anything else I've tried. I also love taking a bath when I've the time.


I also think that the pricing is very appropriate, she has definitely considered her audience and made her products 'pocket money appropriate'. I would definitely be willing to pay £5 for the shower cream/bath soak as it is a reasonably good size. Whilst in the shop I made to sure to smell all of her products and they all smell really lovely. They have a very neutral fresh scent and I really feel as it's a smell everyone will enjoy. 

First of I'm sad to say that when I opened my bar it was slightly smashed and so breaking it into pieces to drop into my bath was near impossible. Also my boyfriend is convinced that we have some monster bath and so I needed to put in nearly the whole bar which didn't help the situation.



The Fizz Bar doesn't look like anything spectacular. Just a cream coloured bar in the style of a chocolate bar with her 'Z' all over it. After putting my two 'pieces' into the bath it fizzed around making the bathroom smell beautiful. it doesn't bubbly exactly, just makes a light silky foam. Due to this it also made my skin feel silky and soft, and smell beautiful. The scent is so fresh though that luckily it doesn't become overbearing. I'm excited to use it again, as I think it's great! It's a nice treat to have for those cold nights!


When we moved in I was convinced the bathroom would me blue themed but my Soap and Glory collection have made it a pink paradise which I'm happy to say the Fizz bar will be joining.

Sorry for the awful lighting. Bust bulbs = dark bathroom.
Also Happy Halloween!

Thursday 30 October 2014

The 'Would you rather?' Beauty Blogger Tag!

Here we go, another tag. I'm trying to sort my camera out because I have a ton of drafts to publish that need pictures. I love tags though, and it means you get to know the person better. 


1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners and lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?

Get rid of my eyeshadows and palettees, to be honest some days I don't wear eye-shadow just concealer and mascara on my eyes. Oh, and I love a good lippy.


2. Would you rather chop all of your hair off or never be able to cut it again?

A few years ago I cut all my hair off, and maybe I'll do it again. I hate split ends, so I could never not cut it again. Definitely rather chop it all off.


3. Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

Pink! I'm so pale and I feel like a soft pink looks much more natural than a coral. I love Rockateur from Benefit which is a beautiful rose gold.


4. If you had £1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or make-up?

Clothes! If I had that much make-up it would never get used, and I love clothes. I could easily spend that much.


5. Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner or eyeliner as lipstick?

Eyeliner as lipstick! Can you imagine how messy it could be to use lipstick on your eyes, it'd be all sticky! 


6. Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

Sephora! That's so much choice compared to just one brand! I love me some Too faced and Benefit!


7. Would you rather only use one eye shadow colour or one lip colour for the rest of your life?

One eye shadow, a lot of the time I just use Maybelline colour tattoo in 'On and on bronze'. I could definitely only use that because it looks amazing with most looks.


8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

Winter clothes in Summer, it never really gets that warm in the UK. So I wear my winter clothes in the Summer a lot anyway.


9. Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

Bright! There's nothing like a bright nail, they're so cheerful.


10. Would you rather give up your favourite lip colour or favourite eye product?

My current favourite lipstick is actually from Topshop in a shade called inhibition, it's the perfect Autumnal colour. I'd rather give up my favourite eye product, 'they're real'. I love my lipstick too much.


11. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or messy bun?

Messy bun! They seem to suit every occasion; dressy or chill!


12. Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?

I'd rather be able to never use lipgloss again, I mean I stick have lip balm and lipstick and I love a good painted nail. It just makes you look polished, and put together even if you're not. 


13. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?

Sharpie them in! I need my eyebrows.


14. Would you rather live without make-up or nail polish?

Nail polish! I wear make-up everyday, not always a full face but always concealer and powder. I love collection 2000 lasting finish concealer it's my go to.


And yes, that's the tag. If you haven't done it already you should! I'd love to read it.



Love Sarah