Gerard Cosmetics Lipsticks/Lipglosses Review ♡

Again, I first heard about Gerard Cosmetics through watching YouTube videos and I recently stumbled across their range of lipsticks when I was watching a video by Jaclyn Hill (yes, I am obsessed with her).
Jaclyn Hill joined Gerard Cosmetics in the making of two lipsticks and two lip glosses - '1995', 'Buttercup', 'Rosehill' and 'Buttercream'. I, of course, have purchased all four of these beauties and I absolutely love them!
Gerard Cosmetics also sell other shades of lipstick and lip glosses too, some of which I have also purchased.

Buttercup, Tequila Sunrise, Berry Smoothie, 1995

Sugar Mama, Shimmer Of Hope, Coral Craze, Rose Hill, Butter Cream

The lipsticks are super creamy and moisturising on your lips and this is something I tend to look/hope for when purchasing or ordering lipsticks as I don't have super smooth lips naturally. I also love how pigmented all of their lipsticks are. (There is nothing worse than purchasing a lipstick and it not being pigmented). The packaging of the lipsticks is gorgeous! It's a simple design of gold with black writing but I really do love that simple yet classy design.

The lip gloss shades that I own I am obsessed with and it's also really nice that they aren't sticky (which is a common problem with most lip glosses). However, I do find that they accentuate the dry areas on my lips and this is the one thing that I do not like about them. That being said, I would not say that it is the formulation causing this, I just probably need to moisturise my lips more. They offer quite a wide range of shades in the lip glosses (including some very vibrant ones, such as blue..). The packaging for the lip glosses is very different! This is because when you go to apply your lip gloss, if you tilt the tube horizontally you will see a thin mirrored strip and you use this as a mirror (obviously) to apply your lip gloss. However, that isn't even the best part.. It lights up!? A light activates when you pull the applicator out the tube. I'm sorry, but how cool is that?!

I must say that I do prefer the lipsticks to the lip glosses, but then I always have done so that is no negative towards these particular lip glosses. The lipstick and lip glosses are reasonably cheap (if you're ordering from the UK) and Gerard Cosmetics almost always have some sort of discount code that you can use to make your order that little bit cheaper, which is always a plus! Considering that you are ordering from the US, shipping is pretty quick and quite inexpensive (it is currently free!!). This definitely makes ordering from Gerard Cosmetics all the more appealing.

Do any of you own anything by Gerard Cosmetics? If so, what?xoxo

http://www.gerardcosmetics.com/

Topshop Wishlist #1 ♡

Petite Crepe Mini Skirt - £45.00

Petite Mini Geometric Print Funnel Top - £24.00

Petite Exclusive Dogtooth Skort - £36.00

60s Flower Print Pelmet Skirt - £28.00

Petite Stitch Sundress - £46.00

Petite 3D Lace Mini Skirt - £38.00

Petite Monochrome Paisley Print Cigarette Trousers - £42.00

Petite Vine Embroided Mesh Top - £28.00

Petite Boucle Patch Pocket Pelmet Skirt - £45.00

Petite Luxe Faux Fur Boxy Gilet - £65.00

Ruby Strappy High Sandals - £46.00

Petite Striped Crop Top - £12.00

Felt Floppy Hat - £28.00

I would love to be able to afford all of these gorgeous items of clothing from Topshop, but unfortunately I do not have an endless pot of money to fulfil my extensive shopping needs. 
These are only a select few items from an extremely long list and I hope this gives some of you guys some inspiration if you're struggling on finding anything that you love.

I hope to buy a couple of items from this beautiful wish list (maybe the cheaper ones would be a good idea) and I will be sure to let you know which pieces I do buy.

What are you wishing for this month?xoxo

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Foundation ♡

*excuse the awful nails*

Today I thought that I would write my own personal review on the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation.
There are a lot of mixed reviews about this particular product - some love it and some hate it.
I personally love this foundation. It's extremely light-weight and has a light to medium coverage which is perfect for those days where you don't want to look like you are wearing any foundation. A lot of people complain about how this foundation is not full coverage, but what can you expect from a foundation that has the word 'oxygen' in it's title?! Honestly, if you're looking for a full coverage foundation and you pick up this one, then you really need to re-think your make up knowledge, haha!

As you can see, I have used quite a bit of this foundation but it has lasted me so long! I bought it around a year ago now I would say and there is still loads left! I admit that I don't use this everyday, but even if you did it would still last you quite a long period of time.
I am using the shade 'I'm Pure 4 Sure - Ivory' and this shade suits me down to a T. It is not orange toned at all (as I am using the more yellow toned and one of the lightest shades) which is great as this is always something us makeup lovers dread when purchasing a foundation.

The feel of this foundation is very smooth and light so it doesn't feel as if you are wearing anything (which is always a plus on those lazy days). I must say, however, that if you do have any blemishes, redness or spots that you are trying to cover up, then this foundation will not be for you as, like I have said before, this foundation is quite thin and very breathable so therefore does not have a high coverage and will not cover up those pesky unwanted areas!

I have always loved how eye-catching Benefit's products are and the foundation is certainly no disappointment to this as it's really simple yet attractive. I find that slightly colourful and clean designs are more appealing as less is definitely more.

Do you own this foundation? If so, what are your thoughts on it?xoxo

Skurar Plant Pots from IKEA ♡

I decided to write about these gorgeous pastel plant pots from IKEA (I clearly don't use them as plant pots but hey ho!).

I purchased mine a while ago now and I have been loving them ever since! I have three colours; baby pink, pastel green and white. I really love the colours of these pots as I love anything pastel, so of course I was driven to them automatically. They go extremely well in my room as I currently have a Cath Kidston themed bedroom with both my bedding and wallpaper being of the rose design - which is white, pink and green.
I also really love the lace-style cut-out design, as it gives some depth and style to the plant pots making them look stylish yet simple.
The pink and green pots give your plain room that pop of colour it needs to be noticed and I am a really big fan of plain interior with colourful accessories, giving your room it's own personal sense of style with a hint of your personality thrown into it for good measure.

I use these "plant pots" for storing my make up brushes in and I think that they do a great job and they also look really pretty as well. The best point about these pots is their price - £1.90!! I personally think that this is super cheap and well worth the money. I will definitely be purchasing more of these, should I need more, and you should too!

This is quite a short post today as what more can I write about a few plant pots?! I hope you enjoyed it anyway nevertheless.

Do you own these plants pots from IKEA or anything similar?xoxo

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara ♡

As you probably already know, the Benefit Roller Lash mascara has been the most talked about product of February 2015. With a mini sample size coming free with Elle magazine, what can you expect?!
I was a little bit late jumping on the bandwagon on purchasing the Elle magazine and I'm also really late in trying this sample size out for the very first time last week. (I know, what have I been doing the whole of February right?!).

First of all, I would just like to say that this mascara has 100% lived up to it's glowing expectations. I literally rolled (haha, get it..) the mascara wand over my eyelashes once and I already had long, curled and jet black eyelashes.

Benefit have really out done themselves with this wonderful mascara as I did not think you would be able to get better than their 'They're Real' mascara (another one of my favourites). Little did I know!
The packaging for the full size Roller Lash mascara is amazing! I love it! (Have a peak at it here). Oh look, here I am talking about pretty packaging again.. What a shock! But seriously, the fact that Benefit have incorporated a 'curling roller' into the design is really cool in my opinion.

This is a pretty short review, but what more can I say other than this mascara is amazing and you have to go and purchase it if you haven't already?! (Even though I haven't yet, but I will once my mini tube has run out. I promise!)

Do you own the Benefit Roller Lash mascara? If so, what are your thoughts on it?xoxo

Lay Me Down - Sam Smith feat. John Legend ♡

Lay Me Down - Sam Smith

Wow! These two amazing artists have collaborated and I could not be more excited. I am completely and utterly obsessed with this song right now! I had only heard Sam Smith's version, as I own his new album, but this is just something else! I heard this particular version on the radio for the first time last week and when I heard a familiar, amazing voice join in (John Legend) I was immediately hooked and just had to buy this version as soon as I arrived home!

If you are a massive fan of both Sam Smith's and John Legend's voices then you will absolutely fall in love with this song the same as I did. I personally feel that their voices go incredibly well together as the tones of their voices are quite different. However, their harmonies are seamlessly amazing and work brilliantly together.

I never really noticed how good of a singer John Legend was until I watched his live performance on The X Factor (shameful, I know..) a while back and from then on I have been starstruck by his truly amazing talent. He is definitely a well deserved "celebrity".

I first heard Sam Smith's stunningly captivating voice as soon as he released his song 'Nirvana' and soon after that performed this on the BRITS Critics' Choice 2014. Which, can I just say, was utterly jaw-dropping. His range is incredible and I love that 'tricks and skills' type of voice.

This song is also for a fantastically great cause - Red Nose Day/Comic Relief. (Article on this perfect pairing and great song here).

Have you heard this song? What are your thoughts on it?xoxo

Mother's Day Gift Guide ♡

I honestly can't believe how quickly this year is flying by, how are we already in March?! I really love the Spring fashion and the pretty colours, so it's safe to say that this Mother's Day Gift Guide will be very pretty and Spring appropriate.
There are a few expensive gifts on here, but as this is just a guide you can always find something a little more inexpensive to treat your mum with (plus, we can all dream about what we'd gift our mother's with on Mother's Day right?!).

Pandora - Motherly Love Openwork Charm £30.00

Yankee Candle - Lavender £16.99

Ted Baker - Large Exotic Leather Purse £89.00

Dior - Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet Perfume £55.00

Interflora/Tesco - Vera Wang Captivating Colour Rose Bouquet £70.00

Thorntons - Continental Tasting Heart Collection £25.00

Essie - Mademoiselle Nail Polish £7.99

Essie - Fiji Nail Polish £7.99

Lush - Rose Bombshell £3.50

I hope this guide helps you if you're stuck on what to get for Mother's Day, I know some of these products are a little too pricey but there are always cheaper alternatives! I hope this gives you some inspiration xoxo

Versatile Blogger Award ♡

Thank you so much to Escada Bloom for nominating me for this award, her blog is amazing and she is such an incredible writer so I really do appreciate the nomination from someone who's blog inspires me.

If you don't already know what this award involves, you write seven facts about yourself and nominate up to fifteen other blogs that you have discovered recently to help promote new upcoming blogs and learn some more about the blogging community.

Here are a selected few facts about myself;

1. I love to collect things (anything from makeup, perfume and nail varnishes to books, DVDs and other random bits and bobs)

2. I studied Photography for four years (in Secondary School and Sixth Form), I managed to come out with an A* at GCSE and an A* at A Level. This is something that I am extremely proud of as I have never been very successful at anything at school that involves intelligence.

3. I still have no idea what I would like to do as a full time career in my life, even though I am 19 years old. All I know is that I would love to be in a creative profession (makeup, fashion, design, etc.).

4. My guilty pleasure TV series is definitely Glee. It's extremely fun-loving and down to earth so you can't help but be happy and sing-a-long.

5. I am always drawn to anything that sparkles when I am out and about (I was definitely a Magpie in my previous life as my mum always says to me).

6. I always like to be in control (some may even call me a control freak).

7. I am obsessed with home decor and I am always on the hunt for cute and quirky home accessories (even though I don't even own my own house yet..).

A massive good luck to the bloggers whom I have nominated (tagged below) xoxo

Nominees

-Pastel Rose World (_fl0raltea_)

- GabriellaLovesxo (gabriella__loves)

- Ooh La Luce (luc.ay)

- Katielou (_ktlou99)

Recent Beauty Purchases - Mini Haul ♡

As you may all know by now, I am the definition of a shopaholic. So it may not surprise you that I have recently purchased some new beauty products. I recently got paid and decided to treat myself a little bit (when I say a little bit, I mean a lot!) and buy the above products online from Boots. I was super excited when I received the small box of goodness in work a couple of days ago and thought that I would share my excitement.

Smashbox - Photo Finish Primer Water £20; I first heard about this product whilst I was watching my daily dose of YouTube videos. I can't remember the exact video I was watching at the time, but I do know that it was by Jaclyn Hill (if you don't already know who she is and you are beauty obsessed then you have to go and check her out, like now). What attracted me to this product is the fact that it is both Alcohol Free and Oil Free, which is perfect for me as my skin reacts to both of these additional ingredients.

Benefit Gimme Brow Gel £17.50; I have been really indecisive about purchasing this product for a very long time and this month I decided to just go for it and try it out. I have heard really good reviews about Benefit's Gimme Brow and I really hope that it doesn't disappoint. I purchased the shade light/medium as I have quite fair skin with medium brown hair. Can we also just talk about how cute this is, it's so tiny?! I am a sucker for cute looking products and anything mini in size. Benefit always out-do themselves with their packaging as it is always so fun, colourful and attractive. They really do have their marketing down to a T!

L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Exclusive Nudes £6.99; Is it really bad that I mainly purchased this item because of the packaging? I love how sophisticated and classy this lipstick looks and, as I've said before, I am obsessed with good looking packaging. I decided to opt for Eva Longoria's nude as I thought this colour of nude would suit me better than the rest.

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara £10.99; This is also another product that I have bought based on other people's good word and feedback. I think I was watching a YouTube video (again) by Shani Grimmond (an Australian beauty and fashion lover - check her out too) and she was trying out this mascara for the first time and was impressed with how it separated her lashes, as I have the same problem as her with my eyelashes clumping together no matter what technique or mascara I use.. As soon as I opened the mascara up and saw how thin and spaced out the bristles are from one another, I was immediately impressed and I am now super excited to try this! Hopefully I will love this as much as everyone else.

L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Colour Riche £8.99; So, apparently, these liquid lipsticks by L'Oreal are similar to the YSL Glossy Stain's (now, I find this hard to believe but I am willing to give this a try and see). I thought that I would pick one up and see how I like it as I have never tried anything like this before. I also thought that I would try out a colour that I have never worn before either - Tangerine. Now, this is quite a big step for me as I am your typical nude kind of girl with the occasional red lip if I am feeling brave or exotic that day. It's a little more orange than I first expected, but I am hoping that it won't be as pigmented on my lips and, if it is, I can just place it over a nude lipstick to soften the colour slightly.

These are my most recent beauty purchases, what are yours?xoxo

February Favourites ♡

So, I felt like jumping on the bandwagon and creating a "monthly favourites" blog post as I have never done one before and it seems like such a cool idea. I personally love reading people's monthly favourites, so I hope you enjoy mine!

I have been absolutely loving this new foundation that I bought at the beginning of the year from a brand I have never heard of (and I don't think many of you would have heard of either). It's by the brand Lord & Berry and I purchased the foundation from ASOS.com - if you're looking for a really lightweight but full coverage foundation, then this is definitely the one for you! It seems strange being able to find a 'full coverage' but 'lightweight' foundation, right? I thought so too, but this is literally the only way that I can think of to describe this luxurious foundation. As I also bought the foundation online, I did not think that the colour match would be as good as it is (but I think that is just pot luck!).

I have also been loving the Naked Palette (the first one) that I kindly bought my sister for her 18th birthday last week. As you all know, I really love my Naked 2 Palette but this one is just as good and the colour's (again) are gorgeous! The shades included are; Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep and Gunmetal. (I really love how Urban Decay name their eyeshadows, I think they're such intising names). I have only used this palette twice this month, so far, once on my sister and once on myself, and I really enjoyed experimenting with the new shades and they are all beautiful and super pigmented.

My favourite perfume at the moment has been 'Ghost'. (I have inserted a photo above so you can see which one it is as I think it is just called Ghost, but I'm not totally positive on that one). The reason why is because it's a very fresh and light, yet sweet perfume so has been perfect to wear during the day time. I also bought it at Swindon Designer Outlet for only £20! An offer I certainly could not refuse. The bottle is really simple and very thin so is easily transported throughout the day and I love the colour of it - baby blue.

Seeing as though I have done a couple of beauty favourites, I thought that I would include a few fashion items I have been loving as well (I will also include some other random bits and bobs).
I have been loving wearing roll neck thin jumpers recently and I own a few. I think that they make it look like you have put in a lot of effort to make yourself look nice, when really all you have done is chuck on a top you like! I also love pairing these tops with high waisted Joni jeans from Topshop and a little pair of black boots.

My burgundy/deep purple Tartan scarf has been an everyday must for me to wear since the beginning of the year (when I bought it) and I have paired it with nearly every outfit I have worn - this is a bit extreme, I know, but I am absolutely obsessed with it! It's from River Island and I bought it for roughly £20, which is a bit pricey for a scarf but, at the end of the day, you won't get cheaper unless you buy from Primark..

Now for a random love this month.. Broadchurch. For those of you who don't know what this is, it's an English Crime TV series based around a death of a young boy and who did it. The first series ended in 2012 and everyone was eagerly waiting for series 2 (which has just finished) for the last two years! Needless to say, it did not disappoint! I'm not going to go into any more depth in case you haven't seen this and want to watch it without it being spoilt. Personally, I think you should all go and watch it if you're interested in Crime Drama's and you will not regret it.

So, that's my January/February monthly favourites. What are some of the things that you have been loving this past month?xoxo

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette ♡

Today I fancied doing a short review on my current favourite eyehadow palette - The Naked 2.
If you own this gorgeous palette, you will know exactly why I have chosen to share my thoughts on it. If you do not own this palette, then you seriously need to consider your options and go out and buy it!! (No, seriously, you have to).

First of all, the Naked 2 palette is the first ever eyeshadow palette I have owned. It was bought for me by my lovely friends for my 18th birthday and I haven't stopped using it since then (nearly two years on). It has lasted me so well considering how often I have used it and all of the eyeshadows are still as pigmented as ever.

There are 12 eyeshadow colours included in the palette; Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted and Creep. The shades I use the most are - Tease in the crease, always, Snakebite all over the lid, Half Baked in the inner part of your eyelid and Bootycall for the brow bone highlight. Sometime's I mix it up a bit and use some of the other shades too, but this is normally my go-to eye look.

The only off putting part of purchasing this palette is the expensive price of £37. However, I personally think that it is worth spending the money on as this palette will definitely last you a very long time and is of a very high quality and standard. I was never the type of girl that was very interested in make up (let alone eyeshadow!!) but ever since receiving the Naked 2 palette I have thoroughly enjoyed playing around with make up and the different looks that you can create on yourself. Personally, I think being able to apply make up, and being able to apply it well, is a type of art (this may sound strange to you if you're not interested in makeup but it's true!) and I really enjoy experimenting with the products that I own to create different looks that I really love and can also be proud of.

Let me know if any of you guys own a Naked palette, which one and what you think about it?xoxo