Products I've Used Up #1

Friday 29 June 2012

A little disclaimer before starting this post; I didn't actually finish all these products in the month of June. I've been slowly hoarding them and the end of June seems to be the perfect time to write about some of the things I've used up. I won't be doing these kind of posts every month, I'd like to get together a lovely collection of products used so it'll be worthwhile posting about. Now, let's get started...wooo!





001. Clinique Clarifying Lotion (No.1): To be honest, I didn't actually finish the entire thing. I had left it in my bathroom whilst I was using another toner and by the time I got round to using it again, there was an iffy alcohol smell and I didn't want to go putting that on my face so I had to pour the rest away. In my defence, there was only a very little small amount left so I feel less guilty! Anyway, onto the product itself, I have always loved using Clinique products but I felt like there was a whole hoard of other toners out there that was left undiscovered! This particular one is great for dry skin! 
Would I re-purchase? Probably not right now but possibly in the future!

002. Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes: My favourite face wipes ever! I've tried a few others but I always go back to these ones! I mean, they don't remove all traces of makeup with one swipe, but I find them quite effective and gentle on my skin. Plus, Superdrug, Asda or Boots always do great deals so I always stock up when they're at a great price!
Would I re-purchase? Yes!

003. 17 Peep Show Mascara: How does anyone know when their mascara has run out? But anyway, this is by far one of the best drugstore mascaras I have tried! It has that perfect line between thickening and lengthening without clumping too much. It brightens up your peepers and I always feel that little bit better when I have a lick of this mascara on!
Would I re-purchase? Yes! I already have when 17 were selling these at a mere £4 a pop! I rarely ever re-purchase a particular type of mascara because there is always a better one to try on the market but this one is certainly an exception!

004. Elemis Rehydrating Ginseng Toner: MummyTron went crazy purchasing skincare items on QVC and she let me try this little bottle of toner. It has a really nice fresh smell and I did feel like my skin was being rehydrated. Was a lovely feeling! Got through this quite quickly, I only wish it was a bigger bottle.
Would I re-purchase? Probably not out of my own pocket but if MummyTron bought the deal again I would snap it up!

005. Clarins Daily Energizer Wake-up Booster: Smells amazing! Like picking oranges in the morning! Okay, slight exaggeration but it really boosts my skin in the morning and gives it a fresh 'pick-me-up'.
Would I re-purchase? Yes, I already have and currently using it in my skincare routine!

006. Simple Kind to Skin Eye Makeup Remover: I always like to use a separate makeup remover for my eye makeup but I found this really ineffective. I used it to wipe the makeup on the back of my hand when applying foundation and managed to use it all up! Yay!
Would I re-purchase? Probably not. As much as I love the Simple range, this didn't tick the boxes of a good eye makeup remover.

007. Clarins HydraQuench Rich Cream: The lady at the Clarins counter was lovely enough to recommend this to me when I was suffering extreme dry patches on my face. The thick cream like texture felt really luxurious and the dryness on my face actually cleared up nicely!
Would I re-purchase? I probably would if I ever had problems with dry skin again but it comes with a big price tag so it may be an exception!

008. Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Energising Daily Facial Scrub: I didn't usually exfoliate my skin so I felt it was time to do something about it when I saw my skin was looking as dull as dishwater! I used this every morning with my Soap & Glory Face Mitt and I did feel a big difference. 
Would I re-purchase? Although I really like incorporating a daily facial scrub in my skincare routine, I won't be re-purchasing this as it was a very gel-like texture and I felt that if I didn't have my Soap & Glory Face Mitt I would just be spreading gel around my face. Would love it more if it kind of foamed up.

Phew! That's a lot of empties! I love it when I use something out because it gives me the chance to buy new things, and who doesn't love that feeling?!

What products have you used up this month? Have you used anything that I've finished up?

Vanessa

x

Drawing a Line: An Eyeliner Review

Thursday 28 June 2012

Eyeliner was definitely one of the first make-up items I bought when I was dabbling in make-up. I find that eyeliner just completes your eye look and manages to create amazing illusions like making your eyes look smaller or bigger. I thought I would go over my some of my eyeliner finds and some recommendations for you lovely readers if you're on the market for a new one or is just starting out with make-up!



Left to Right: MUA Eyeliner, MAC Kohl 'Smoulder', Topshop 'Saddle', Topshop 'Juniper', Majolica Majorca, Stila Smudge Stick 'Moray', UD 'Zero', UD 'Whisky'.

MUA Eyeliner in Jet Black: This a recent addition and at only £1, I'm really impressed with the quality. It's really creamy but I found that it smudges really easily so I'm not quite sure how long it would last on my eyes without setting it with a black eyeshadow. I'm also really impressed that the lid comes with a sharpener so it's pretty handy!

MAC Eye Kohl in Smoulder: I usually don't have a bad word to say about MAC as I research their products a lot before buying them and I'm never disappointed with them thereafter, but I'm finding it really difficult to still be friends with this eyeliner! It is a proper black eyeliner (as shown above) and it was once a favourite of mine but now whenever I try and use it, it just drags over my lids and even when swatching it on my hand it just dragged and pulled on my hand. *sigh* I really want to love this again but I guess you win some and lose some.

Topshop Kohl in Saddle: I love this eyeliner. It is a soft deep bronzy/brown shade and it's pretty much perfect for those days where you don't want to go too heavy with a black eyeliner. Lovely!

Topshop Kohl in Juniper: Another Topshop eyeliner in a deep Aubergine colour. It's something a little different to what I would usually go for but I did find myself reaching for this often when I bought it! Again, really creamy and it didn't drag across the lids. Topshop...you can do no wrong!

Majolica Majorca Cream Pencil Liner: This is a little diddle one I got for free when I bought a mascara in Hong Kong and it's pretty amazing! It's the perfect shade of black, creamy, applies well but the only gripe I have is that it is a bugger to remove from my eyes! (Anyone have any good eye makeup remover recommendations?) I'm also sad that it is a small sample size so hopefully when I got back to Hong Kong this year I can get the full size!

Stila Smudge Stick in Moray: I got this from my Glossybox absolutely yonks ago! It's a really nice product and the colour is amazing with a small hint of shimmer in it! I love using this to create a winged eyeliner look and was really pretty in the Wintertime! Can't wait to use it again in the colder months!

Urban Decay 24/7 in Zero: I do have a problem with using UD eyeliners. I don't doubt their quality at all but I just can't quite put my finger on it! It is a really nice jet black shade but not as black as the Majolica Majorca one.

Urban Decay 24/7 in Whisky: I believe this shade is limited edition that came with the Original Naked Palette before they started including a brush in the set. But it's UD so 'see above'. Sorry UD, love your eyeshadows but I'm not sold on your eyeliners yet!

What do you think? What is your favourite eyeliner?

Vanessa

x

Palette Series: Sleek 'Storm' Palette

Tuesday 26 June 2012

We're continuing my palette series with a Sleek product today, in particular, the Sleek 'Storm' palette.



In this palette, you get 12 wonderfully pigmented shades. There are 3 matte shades and 9 shimmery ones so you do get a bit of variety and you can create a look for everyday! A comment on the packaging, I do appreciate that Sleek had taken the time to really make it look quality although it's a drugstore product. The hard case that holds these eyeshadows give you peace of mind that if you're travelling with it, it won't collapse in on itself!


I'll be blatantly honest here and say that I have been neglecting this palette for quite some time now in favour of other products. But this is the brilliant thing about making these posts is that I re-discover make-up products that lurk in my drawer and begin to use them again.


Sleek is a brand that I'm always looking out for their new products as they often bring out new collections with an amazing colour range. Although this is my only Sleek palette, I will hopefully be investing in more in the near future!


These palettes are really inexpensive at £6.49 on the Superdrug website, in Superdrug stores or on the Sleek website. As far as I'm aware, Sleek is only available in the UK but ships internationally when bought online.


What do you think? Do you own this palette or any others from the range?


Vanessa

x

Sunday Summary #8

Sunday 24 June 2012

Follow me on Instagram: fong_wingsee
001. I must say, it's been an awfully ca-razay week! Been up and down the length of Scotland for interviews and such like! But all good things come to those who wait and I have been offered a job! I just want to take the time to say thank you for all the lovely comments you have left me regarding this and I'm so happy this job-hunting malarky is over! It's all still conditional just now and I have some background things to go through but hopefully everything goes well! The only thing I'm dreading is the phone-call from the other company I interviewed with. Hopefully they'll reject me and I won't have to deal with telling them that I accepted another job!


002. I got my results (finally!) for my Diploma in Professional Legal Practice course! 3 A's and 4 B's later I'm grinning like a Cheshire Cat! I'm gutted that I was one A away from a Distinction classification but I'd happily settle for a Merit! Graduation in July, here I come!


003. After this whirlwind week, my life plan is hopefully back on track and I can finally start planning some events for this year! One of them is moving out MummyTron's house and getting a flat/house of my own, then I decided to get a cat when I do. I've been researching cats and how to care for them like a crazy cat lady but I've decided what type of cat to get and I'm really excited! I've never owned a pet before and I do understand that they take a lot of care and attention in their early years but one craves some companionship :) If you have a cat, do you have any tips or recommendations as to what to look for and how to care for them?


What a mammoth week eh? What have you been up to this week?


P.S...Thank you to all my followers and readers who have read and commented on my blog, I appreciate each and every one of you! To mark this brilliant week, I will be holding a mini giveaway on my blog once I reach 50 followers (GFC & HelloCotton together)...so keep your eyes peeled!


Vanessa

Review: Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

Friday 22 June 2012

Back when I first started this blog, I mentioned in my 7 Deadly Sins of Beauty post that I have a love/hate relationship with gel eyeliner. I think it mainly has to do with the fact that I have weird Asian eyelids that prevent me from experiencing gel eyeliner to all its potential. The only gel eyeliner I have invested in is Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner.





As you can tell, I've used it quite a lot! I bought this back when QVC had a great deal where you get a duo of gel eyeliners and a Bobbi Brown eyeliner brush as well for a steal! Cue my frustrations in making it work! The formulation itself is creamy, glides on really well and comes very black (although I don't know if it's because I've had it for a while but the colour pay-off isn't as great as when it was new). I go through really odd phases of wearing gel-eyeliner, hating it then moving into liquid eyeliner. This process repeats itself. Practice makes perfect with these kind of make-up products and to be honest, I'm still learning the technique so that's why I'm always dipping in and out of it.

As it states on the packaging, it is very long wearing. I worked through an entire restaurant shift with it on and it doesn't stray. Getting it off your eyes is another task in itself! I would recommend a really good eye make-up remover as I've often woken up the next day with traces of the eyeliner still on my eyes!

I also have the colour in Espresso which is a lovely coffee brown which I haven't had the opportunity to use it! But I will make my way around to it as I'm feeling the black eyeliner might be a bit too much for every day wear. This is the only gel eyeliner I've tried but I've heard the Maybelline one is also fantastic!

This retails for £16.50 which is very pricey compared to the Maybelline gel eyeliner (but it is available in a wide range of colours), but I feel you do get what you pay for and Bobbi Brown is such a brilliant brand you can't really go wrong!

Have you tried this product before? Any other Bobbi Brown products that you recommend?

Vanessa

x

Palette Series: Benefit's Big Beautiful Eyes

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Wooo! I have another series for you lovely readers! This is my palette series where we will be looking at a variety of palettes for (hopefully) every occasion! I love palettes, they're so versatile and ideal for travelling! Usually the colours contained in palettes ultimately compliment each other so there isn't really much thinking involved trying to match the colours together to create your look!

Today, we're looking at Benefit's Big Beautiful Eyes kit.





As you can see it comes with three really lovely colours and a concealer. Underneath the palette, it comes with a guide as to how to use each shadow which I found quite useful when I was first starting out with this palette.


The three colours are so wearable for a lovely daytime look and the darker brown shade is perfect if you find a black eyeliner is too harsh. The shimmery pink is very similar to MAC's Naked Lunch or UD's Sin. The darker pink is akin to UD's Toasted but very much on the lighter side. 


The brushes are really useful as well...they're actually one of the only brushes I have tolerated keeping! One brush is double ended for contouring and lining, the other for use with the concealer. The only bad thing I have to say about this kit is the concealer. Whilst I don't doubt the quality of the concealer, I just found it really misplaced to put it in the same palette with eyeshadows. With more use of the palette, I found the excess eyeshadow fall-out landed in the concealer making it beyond useful. 


The signature quirky packaging from Benefit makes this palette even more wonderful and the mirror inside certainly does have its uses. One of my first eyeshadow palettes I've owned, and I still treasure it! 


It's slightly on the pricey side currently at £24.50 (I think when I bought it it was slightly cheaper than that, the effects on inflation eh?). If you're looking for really good quality eyeshadows and the peace of mind that Benefit always churn out brilliant products then it is a worthy cause to part with your hard earned cash!


What do you think? Do you own any other Benefit eyeshadow products?


Vanessa

x

The Laine Blogger Award

Tuesday 19 June 2012

In terms of the 'Blogger' world, I really haven't been blogging for very long so when I was told by Kirsty from Just Another Day that I she had nominated me for the Laine Blogger Award, a huge grin stretched across my face! 


So here are the rules
- Tag the blogger who awarded you.
- Award five more bloggers
- And some questions to spice things up!
1. What is your current beauty obsession?
2. What is one beauty item you wished you owned?
3. What kind of posts are your favourite posts to write, and read?
4. What inspired you to become a blogger?
5. What colour nail polish are you wearing right now?
  
1. What is your current beauty obsession?
Blusher. I just love how it completely changes the your makeup and it's such a versatile product! I'm very picky with my blushes so I tend to research them more than necessary!

2. What is one beauty item you wished you owned?
So difficult to say as there are so many that I need! But I would have to say Benefit's Hervana blush. This goes hand in hand with my last question and for those who have been reading my blog for a while, you'll know this is very much No.1 on my lust list!

3. What kind of posts are your favourite posts to write, and read?
I love writing every single post I write but my favourite are my reviews of specific products that I feel every person needs to know about. I'm all about sharing the love <3
My favourite posts to read are lifestyle and review posts. I'm always on the lookout for amazing things to try!

4. What inspired you to become a blogger?
I've always wanted to write since I was a little 'un and I guess with the advancement in 'technology', blogging was really the next step to take. I really like the idea of sharing my interests and aspects of my life with other like-minded bloggers and it's something that I can immerse myself. 

5. What colour nail polish are you wearing right now?
No nail polish! I go through really strange phases of wearing a different colour everyday to nothing for ages! Strange, I know.
 
I nominate: 

Vanessa

x

Best (and Worst) Lip Balms

Monday 18 June 2012

I am an avid lover of lip balm. I realise now that I only have the one pair of lips but a girl can never have too many lip balms! I don't wear lipstick regularly as I prefer to opt for a more hydrating product on my lips as I'm a sufferer for very dry chapped lips if I skip even a day with no hydrating lip product. This post is really an overview of what lip products really work for me...and one that I really dislike!
001. Nivea Hydro Care: When I used to work in restaurants, I suffered from really dry lips as the hot environment and the lack of (liquid) hydration was not a good mix so I always kept a lip balm in my apron. The Nivea Hydro Care one graced my apron several times and I made my way through countless tubes! This one is my favourite as you really feel the benefits of hydration and moisture on application. I really do feel that Nivea make the best lip balms on the market and they do a wide variety of different types at inexpensive prices so I always keep one to hand!

002. Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter: Anything with Mango Butter in the title and I'm on it like a car bonnet! This one does however have a slight waxy texture which doesn't bother me as much and the small cap is fiddly to get off but it's a really lovely nourishing lip balm. A little more expensive than your average drugstore lip balm but I think it's worth it just for the smell alone!

003. Vaseline Lip Therapy: I use this every single day at night before I go to bed. I've been through so many tins of this. (TOP TIP: I clean out my empty Vaseline tins and use them to store hair ties and kirby grips when they're in my bag so I don't lose them in the bag vortex that takes all my kirby grips!) I don't believe it actually hydrates your lips but acts as a barrier to the outside environment and if I skip this step in my nightly routine it looks like I've rubbed sandpaper over my lips in the night!

004. Palmer's Dark Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Butter: The only word I can use to describe this is YUM! Smells divine and it really helps my chapped lips, especially in the Winter. If you're a lover of chocolate mint then you need this in your life! It's not too glossy or sticky and the squeezy applicator allows you to control how much or how little you want on your lips. Brilliant! Definitely a re-purchase for me if I run out!

005. Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy: As you read before, I love Vaseline but I don't love this. I don't like giving bad reviews on my blog but I'd like to highlight this particular product that really didn't work for me. It just dried out my lips and made it go all flakey which made it look worse! The smell is over-powering and reminded me of marzipan (which I don't like). I don't know why I didn't throw it out, I guess I just wanted to make it work but I think this relationship is over. This is the first Vaseline product that I've tried that has come in tube form and to be honest, I'm slightly skeptical about trying any more of their 'tube' range. I'm not saying it's a terrible product and that you shouldn't buy it, but it just didn't work for me.

What do you think? What are your favourite lip balms? Do you have any recommendations for me?

Vanessa

x

Sunday Summary #7

Sunday 17 June 2012

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001. What an absolutely mind boggling week! I got called for not one but two (count 'em!) interviews all within 24 hours of each other and both at the polar opposite ends of the country! The first one is tomorrow in Glasgow so I'm pretty excited about this position as ironically it has absolutely nothing to do with my degree but something that I'm quite interested in and willing to learn (which I think came across quite well in my application form). The other one is in the city I live in and is slightly leaning towards my degree subject but not really. Either way...I don't mind because it's a job! I just hope that one of these will stick and will lift me from my reverie! This means unfortunately the blogging front might be lacking a little BUT I will endeavour to get some scheduled posts sorted out so you're not without some reading for a long period of time!

002. Speaking of reading....I've been sucked into the world of the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Trilogy! It really isn't something that I would read normally and the literature itself makes me chuckle sometimes. I finished the first book in less than 2 days and this morning I started the second book. If you're thinking of reading it...I would definitely recommend it but not for those under the age of 18 as the content is *ahem* inappropriate for those under a certain age. Brilliant book and a welcome break for me who is struggling to maintain any form of brain capacity for the 'A Song Of Ice and Fire' series which I finished the second part of the third book not long ago. I read far too much...this is what happens when you wait around for job applications to get back to you!

003. I finally found a dress for my cousin's wedding! The wedding is at the end of July and anyone who knows me knows that I am certainly a last minute kind of person when it comes to dress shopping! Usually a week before the event, I'm panic dress-shopping to the point where I'm almost passing out from the stress! It's an absolute beaut of a dress from Coast and although it fits (yussss!) I have to lose a few more pounds before I can breathe comfortably in it, or even attempt to sit three hours in a car with it on! Just my graduation dress to get and I'm done (can't believe it's next month already!)

What have you been up to this week?

Vanessa

x

NOTD: Essie Super Bossa Nova

Thursday 14 June 2012

(I want to first off apologise for the shoddy photos that were taken on my phone. I swear it looked ok before it got to Blogger!)


I actually won this Essie nail polish from The Sunday Girl Blog (which you should go and check out now, she does really good product reviews!) and I got this shade at random called 'Super Bossa Nova'....in the bottle it looks like a hot pink with blue iridescent shimmer. I don't have a shade like this in my collection and I love the small dinky size of it because who gets through an entire bottle of nail polish anyway?


I believe this is the older formulation as it came with a thinner brush than the ones sold in Boots and Superdrug. I literally did one coat of this and I was pretty happy stopping there as it was so easy to work with! I haven't got a bad thing to say about this, it's a pretty amazing and unique shade that I'm sure will be gracing my nails more this summer when Mr Sun makes another appearance!


Vanessa

x

Watch Storage & Collection

Wednesday 13 June 2012

I believe that everyone has a 'thing', an example being shoes, makeup, skincare etc. My thing is watches. I think it really stems back to my childhood where I had a Minnie Mouse watch that had a turning dial (and that was how I learnt my five times table :)) and I wore it all the time! Now fast forward to the present and I'm still loving watches to the point where I can't leave the house without one! I also have a pet peeve of people who constantly ask for the time but they don't wear a watch (even though I know that they own a watch!!)

I thought that I would share my little collection of watches and how I store them.


 My Mother bought me this cute little box from TK Maxx recently for £12.99 because she knows I love my watches!

001. My friends from university bought me this Ice watch for my 21st birthday. This is the smaller version with the silicone type strap and it's really well made.
002. My Mother bought me this watch for my Christmas last year and it's a double wrap watch from Swatch. I do prefer watches with a smaller face as I feel that my wrists won't be able to handle the bigger faces! I wear this one all the time as my casual watch. Once you master the technique of putting it on then you're good to go!
 003. My cousin bought me this one for my Christmas from Oasis but I don't wear it as often as I would like, hence why I popped it in this box as if it's on display then I'll more likely pick it up. It's really lovely actually!
004. This was my first 'silver' watch and I got this as a gift for my graduation last year. I basically got to pick out any one I wanted but there was something simple and classic about this Storm watch that appealed to me. Plus, I had always liked the look of Storm watches!

Oh dear...after typing all this out, I have realised that all my watches have been gifted to me! Doh! I must be a very predictable person! I have another space for one more watch and I was thinking about a Michael Kors one for my graduation present this year (or a new job, whichever comes first!) but I think I'm perfectly satisfied with my collection now.

What do you think? Do you own a small collection of watches as well? How do you store yours?

Vanessa

x

Today's Bake: White Chocolate and Raspberry Blondies

Tuesday 12 June 2012


I'm not going to lie to you. I didn't make these today. I actually made these last week...but it doesn't change a thing I don't think! I recently got a new brownie tin so I was really excited to start making some traybakes. My family love traybakes because they are so dainty, they can just pick one up and off they go!


Recipe (Adapted from a Recipe Card)
125g Butter
200g White Chocolate, chopped (or to make life simpler, chocolate chips work well too!)
110g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
130g Plain Flour
120g Fresh Raspberries
100g Flaked Almonds (entirely optional)


Pre-heat the oven to 190 Degrees Celsius/Gas Mark 5 and line your brownie tin with greaseproof paper.


On a low heat, melt the butter and HALF the chocolate until melted. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick and golden. Sieve in the flour, add the chocolate butter mixture and fold together. Add the raspberries, remaining chocolate and the almonds (if using). Mix together and pour into your prepared tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a golden crust appears. 


Cut into squares (approximately 16) and cool in the tin. These blondies will give you 2 days of happiness!


These didn't last very long in our household! As you can tell, 2 were sneakily taken before I even got my camera out! You can try varying the recipe to suit your tastes but there is something about white chocolate and raspberries that bring out the summery side in me!


Bon Appétit! 


Vanessa

x

Blush Series: Topshop Creme Blush in 'Flush'

Monday 11 June 2012

I'm sad to report that this is the last post in my blush series (can I get an 'awwww'!) But don't worry, if you really enjoyed this series, then I have a new one starting next week which I hope you will all like.

Getting back to today's post...I have definitely saved the best 'till last as this is one of my all time favourite blushes! Topshop's Creme Blush in 'Flush'.




First off, as cute as Topshop's make-up range packaging is, it gets dirty really quickly! It does not bode very well with my obsession with cleanliness! But moving onto the product itself, it might look really scary in the pan but once blended out onto the cheeks it does give a glowy look. And if blended out really well, one might think that I was an English Rose (yep...right(!))


I used this all last Summer, to be point where I actually hit pan! The formulation itself is really easy to use. I simply swirl the colour onto my ring finger, dot it onto the apples of my cheeks and blend it out with my middle finger. It dries to a 'powder' consistency but it really isn't that noticeable once you start working with it. I will admit, when I first used this blush, I hated it. It clung to all the dry parts of my cheeks and I looked like I was a one woman circus! But perhaps it has more to do with the fact that I wasn't using it properly so I did some research and finally found a way to make it work!


There really isn't that much more to say about how much I love this blush! Maybe I'll add the fact that it only cost a mere £6! (And if you're lucky to get a student discount, even cheaper than that!) I really hope to add more to my collection as I do like the creme blush formulation and it is such an interesting addition to the usual powder blushes.


You can get this in Topshop stores that stock the makeup collection or on their website.


What do you think? Do you have any Topshop blush recommendations for me?


Vanessa

x

Sunday Summary #6

Sunday 10 June 2012

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001. Do you ever get one of those days where you just want to stay under the duvet and let the world go by? Well, today was definitely one of those days. Then I realised that a lack of oxygen under the duvet forced me to get up from my slumber. Sneaky how the universe deceives you like that isn't it? But I'm certainly rambling so anyway...today I've spent the entire morning solving my rubiks cube over and over again to the point where my brain now flashes small colourful squares! Cue an epic gym session to get me out of my insane rut!

002. I have felt my blogging have slowed down the past few days and I really do apologise. Not because I have nothing to blog about but life certainly got in the way. I should come up with a schedule or keep a notebook of everything blogging related so I don't lose sight of this. Do you have a routine that you stick to when it comes to blogging?

003. This week, I have realised that I am an 'over-thinker' when things really shouldn't be. Some may say it is a good trait to have but I think it is one of my traits that people fail to understand about me; hence the 'life getting in the way' thing.

Ok, that is as deep as a Sunday Summary will ever get! Also, I want to say a really big thank you to Kirsty from Just Another Day for nominating me for the Laine Blogger Award! I will definitely get round to blogging about it this week!

I hope you have all had a lovely week!

Vanessa

x

Felix Felicis Liquid Luck

Friday 8 June 2012



Ok, Harry Potter fangirl moment...but how cute is this necklace? I had been eyeing up this necklace on ebay for the longest time ever and I finally took the chance and bought it because who doesn't need a little luck in their life?

If you have read the Harry Potter books then you will instantly know what this is, and if you haven't...then go read them now! This cute little vial contains 'liquid luck' with lots of lovely gold glitter and a little wooden stopper. I really love the details in this necklace like the little four leaf clover and leaf like design. The chain itself is well made and is about 49cm long. I can't wait to wear this quaint little piece of jewellery and the little magpie within me is a happy person!

This seller was very good, it came boxed and arrived very quickly. The seller also has other Harry Potter themed jewellery in their store so I'd thoroughly recommend taking a quick look if you're interested.

Felix Felicis was £5.99 excluding P&P.

Vanessa

x

Blush Series: Benefit's Dallas Boxed Powder

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Aren't we just whizzing through these blushes?

When I was just getting into makeup...I was always instantly drawn to the Benefit counter. There was just something about their quirky packaging and unique product names that appealed to the magpie in me! Dallas was one of the first make-up items I ever bought and it has stayed faithful to me ever since!




Definitely one of my favourite blushes ever and it doesn't even look like I've made a tiny dent in it! I used this throughout the entire Winter time because it just gave off that perfect 'oh look, I've just been galloping in the country air with my horse' kind of look. It is a slightly dark muted plum shade that leaves an oh so fresh glow across your cheeks. When I was swatching this powder for this post, I suddenly noticed how soft it was and made me fall in love with it even more!

It is a little pricey at £23.50 (as with all the Benefit's boxed powders) but I feel that it is really worth it. It lasts such a long time and it is such a quality powder. Next on my hit list is Benefit's Hervana and I was so close to buying it when Debenhams had 10% off all beauty items. So I shall settle for a lustful sigh whenever I walk past the Benefit counter.

What do you think of Benefit's boxed powders in general?

Vanessa

x

'You'll find that life is still worthwhile'

Tuesday 5 June 2012


What I'm Wearing
Shirt: H&M
Crop Top (under shirt): H&M
Pencil Skirt: Dorothy Perkins
Cardigan: Zara
Shoes (unseen): Primark
Arm Candy: Storm Watch and Pandora Bracelet

*Arghdnrnccnemcsldmokdm* I don't think I will ever be able to pose (normally) for outfit photos! But here is my latest offering for you anyway! 


So I had my interview last Thursday and if you read my Sunday Summary #5 then you will know how I got on. But I thought I would share what I wore to the interview and what I usually wear if I'm having to go to any formal like that. I kept everything really simple and comfortable because there really is no point in looking like perfection but being uncomfortable...there's the interview itself to make you feel that way! 


If you would like any advice on how to deal with interviews (I am no expert in any manner of speaking!) then let me know and I will do a separate post as I feel it might be useful for anyone in the same boat as me!


Vanessa

x