Moving out!

OK so its been a little while since I've done a blog post. Just a little, but I didn't really feel like posting and I don't think you should force yourself to write if you don't feel like it. After all blogging is meant to be enjoyable. And I have been so busy at work lately that I just have not had the energy! Having said that though I feel like I'm ready to get back in the swing of things!
I like blogging because it gives me a space to be creative, its also nice to be able to document things so I can go and look back on them later...not that I can see myself wanting to go back and look at my 2016 wish list, but you never know! 

I've also had some exciting news this week...I am going to be flying the nest very soon! Like at the end of March! This has also inspired me to continue blogging because I'd love to not only document the experience but I'd also like to share anything I learn along the way! 

It's all very new and sometimes quite confusing! 

So I'd really like to do some posts based on moving into your first place.

Having my own place is something I have wanted for soooo long. Finally I can use all the decor ideas I've been pinning to my home board on Pinterest for the last 2 years...Well maybe not all of them, no house is big enough for that! 

Xxx

Urban Decay Primer Potion Comparison

I was lucky enough to receive the Naked Palette for Christmas last year, it still feels odd saying last year! I also received samples of 4 of the Urban Decay eye primers. I wasn't actually aware that there was more than one version of the Primer Potion but it was great to actually try these all out so I could decide which one was best for me. I've used different ones over the past month and I'm going to share my thoughts on each, they're actually all very different!

I'll start with the original... This primer differs from the next two I'm going to talk about as it dries transparent. It helps to even out the skin tone across your lid but wont add any colour. This is one of my favourites of the four. I think this would be a good one to go for if you tend to wear different types of eye-shadow as it would work for shimmery or matt shadows.

Next is Eden. I'm really torn between this and the original primer. This primer dries a nude colour which I find is really great as a base and helps to make nude colours stand out a bit more. It just kind of gives you a clean slate to work with. It is matt, which is great for me as I tend to stick to matt shadows on a day to day basis. If you're into your shimmers and glitters then this might not be the best for you.

The complete opposite of this is the third primer, Sin. This is a shimmery primer which is a pinky colour, its actually similar to the shade Sin in the first Naked Palette. This primer really helps to make shimmery shadows pop and look that little bit more shimmery. It's actually a really nice colour all on its own!

The least used primer was the Anti-Ageing primer. I didn't use this much simply because it's not a prouduct that's really aimed at my skin type. It is similar to the Original primer because it dries transparent. Its a different texture which actually makes it a little easier to apply. This is thinner and less tacky than the others, this feels more like a moisturiser. I don't know if this has any effect on the staying power of the shadow but it seemed to work just as well.

I am so torn between whether to go with the original or Eden. I'm thinking I'll probably end up going for Original to start with, simply because it is a bit more versatile. Of course there's always the option of getting both...

Products first impressions

This week I ordered a few 'essentials' from boots. At least I call them essentials... mostly just to justify buying them to myself! They were pretty basic things though, but I thought I'd share my first impressions because its easy to overlook everyday things that aren't all that exciting!

First on my list was the Vichy Life Serum, I wrote about this on my wishlist post earlier. As you can see I'm wasting no time getting started on ticking items off this list, I've got my eye on the Tarte Palette next...

I really love the packaging of this product and the fact that its a pump dispenser, rather than having to squeeze it out of a bottle. I feel like there's less waste this way and you can get just the amount you need. As for the actual product, I love it. I had already had a sample, which is why I decided to purchase the full size. One thing I really love is the smell, it has a lovely scent and it also makes my skin feel really soft.

Next up is Bumble and Bumble Colour Minded Shampoo and Conditioner. I bought this because for the last couple of months I've coloured my hair auburn. I love the colour but as anyone else who's an unnatural red head will know, reds fade quickly! Mine seemed to fade after a few washes, almost back to my original blonde. Not wanting to dye my hair every couple of weeks, I read up that sulphate free shampoo is the way to go. So that's why I went with this one! I used this shampoo today and I cant comment yet on how effective it is at stopping colour fading because you cant really tell after one use. But I can tell you that this shampoo and conditioner makes my hair feel lovely. It feels soft but not flat. Some shampoo makes my hair really shiny and soft but it takes all the texture out and I'm left with hair stuck to my head. I actually feel like my colour looks a little bit brighter, now that might just be me thinking that but it was already starting to fade and it seems a bit more vibrant. I went with the smaller size because its isnt cheap and I thought I'd better try it out first before getting a bigger bottle.

I also got the Rimmel lasting finish foundation. I had been using Rimmel wake me up foundation and mixing it with a lighter BB cream because it was a tiny bit dark for me and call me crazy but I actually like to be quite pale. Not an unhealthy pale just a nice pale! Anyway, I ran out of this and went on the search for a new foundation. I came across this one and decided to give it ago. First impression is that it smells great, not overpowering but it just smells nice. Which isnt essential in a foundation but its a nice touch. I went for Ivory and it actually matches me perfectly. It's a full coverage foundation, but when blended in it could be a medium. I don't feel like I really need to much coverage, especially when I'm also using concealer but this gives a good cover. It's meant to last 25 hours, I don't know why 25...seems a bit random to me. I'm not sure about this yet but I've had it on most of today and it seems to be staying.

I got 2 brushes with my order, a Real Techniques Stippling brush and a Bare Minerals brow master brush. I used both today. The stippling brush is really good at buffing foundation into the skin to give a more natural finish, which is great because no one wants cakey make-up!

I really love the Brow brush from Bare Minerals, I like that there is a brush one end for combing through the eyebrows ad then a brush the other for applying powder. The brush for applying powder is thin so you can get a nice precise line and it was really easy to use to do my brows. Also considering I have been using a small eye-shadow brush for my brows recently it makes a huge difference.

I ran out of cleanser recently and I didn't have another, aghr! So I had to purchase some more, I'm not to fussy with my cleanser and I'm just going through testing different ones until find a favourite.I went with Garnier Simply Essentials soothing and cleansing lotion. I chose this because its good for sensitive skin and since I use cleanser everyday I like to go with something that's fairly gentle. I used this today and I don't have any complaints, I like it and it makes my skin feel cleaner, which is all you can really ask for. It was a good choice!

Let me know if you've tried these products and what you think, since they're still fairly new to me it would be good to know other peoples experience using these products.

xxx

19th Birthday!

So today was my 19th Birthday, I woke up to snow this morning, although it all melted away pretty quickly! I didn't get up to that much today but last night we headed to the cinema to watch Daddy's Home. Definitely worth a watch, it was hilarious! Today was pretty chilled, but that's how I like it.

I like to reflect on what I've done this past year but I don't tend to plan much for the year ahead, just go with the flow! Saying that though, I do actually have things I want to achieve this year. Number one is to move out and it looks like I'll be on track to do that in the next 6 months or so...very excited! I'd also like to pass my driving test this year. I started taking lessons last year and hopefully this year I'll get it finished! I also want to really work more on my blog this year, I want to post more often and post better content. I'm still getting to grips with everything and it will take time of course but I'm learning, slowly but surely.

As for what I did this year...the main thing for me this year was passing my apprenticeship (both the worst and best thing I've ever done) and getting a job. I was lucky to be taken on at the same place I did my apprenticeship, I know a lot of people in my class had to go out and find jobs elsewhere at the end of theirs. I also started driving lessons, which was a big step because I was so nervous! I put it off for so long and I'm so happy that I finally started!

I feel like I have grown and changed (for the best) a lot this past year and I'm looking forward to see what next year brings! Now I'm off to eat some cake and do a bit of online shopping!

xxx

Lush 'Love and Light' Hand Cream

I'm still ploughing through all the Lush gifts I got for Christmas. My bath bomb and bubble bar supply is slowly shrinking though, maybe time for another trip to lush soon! One item I received in a gift box was the Love and Light hand cream. I've never tried a hand cream from lush before so it was great to get something I probably wouldn't have picked up. Although lets be honest, I'm sure I would have tried it out myself at some point! 

Dry hands, luckily, isn't something I really have a problem with so I do tend to neglect them sometimes. I really shouldn't, especially not during the winter months, so I've been keeping this at the side of my bed to remind me before I go to sleep and when I wake up to use it. This tactic is working pretty well so far! 

The actual product is really good, I wasn't sure what to expect, as I haven't tried any of the lush hand cream before but I wasn't disappointed. From what I've read in other reviews this hand cream is quite light compared to others, I cant comment on that but I can say that it is light and not sticky at all. It absorbs well into the skin and this makes it perfect to apply throughout the day or in the morning. There's nothing worse than having greasy, sticky hands, euckk! Although it is light it is still so great for moisturising hands! I have a patch of dry skin, kind of like eczema on my hand and I've tried lots of different creams in an attempt to clear this up. It's not cleared up completely but it has been massively better since using this cream and it's no longer flaky and dry. For this reason alone I love this product and will definitely be getting it again! 

Then there's the scent. I have to admit I didn't love the smell at first. But after using it for a little while I've started to really like it. It smells of oranges, as this product contains orange oil and its actually really calming. It's not to strong of a scent though, if it was super strong I don't think I would like it half as much, but its just right! Definitely worth grabbing this next time you're in Lush! 

xxx

A new goal every month

This month I've given up takeaways, that might not sound like a big deal to some of you, giving up takeaways for 4 weeks but to a Pizza Hut addict like me, its hard! Just typing the word pizza makes my mouth water. I decided to give it up because in December I ate...excessively. This includes lots and lots of takeaways, I don't think I touched anything remotely healthy. It has actually been a bit easier than expected, I think this is partly because its January and I cant actually afford to indulge in my usual takeaways. Also after a December full of bad food I'm frankly sick of looking at junk food, not something I thought I'd ever say! 

So after making it halfway through this month without caving in (don't speak to soon, there's still a way to go!) I've decided I want to try and do something every month. Maybe by the end of the year I'll be able to give up chocolate for a month...HAHA! 

Most of the things I do are just habit and I figure that if I can go a month without something then I can probably live without it. Some of these goals I think I'll stick to and some I will probably drop as soon as the month ends! But lets see how it goes, I'll do a post at the end of this month when I've decided on Februarys goal, I already have an idea of what I'm going to do...

Hows everyone else's new years goals going?

xxx

4 Products I want to try in 2016

I know its just been Christmas, is anyone else still a bit depressed that its all over? but I have already started thinking about products I want to try out this year. The 'what I got for Christmas' posts and videos really aren't helping matters! However this year is focused largely on moving out into my first place which is great but it is also expensive, so spending on beauty products will have to take a bit of a back seat, as much as I hate to say it! I'm sure I will still find excuses to treat myself but I'll just have to think a bit more about what I get. That said, here's my list of 4 products I definitely want to get this year: 

Vichy Idealia Life Serum- I got a small sample of this with a Feel Unique order and I loved it! It made my skin feel noticeably better even after only a few days use. Its quite pricey compared to what I usually go for but I'm willing to pay when it comes to looking after my skin. I've had the tester sat in the bottom of my make-up bag for ages, I'm guessing I put it there to remind myself to get some! I spotted it in there this morning and I just tested the remaining product on the back of my hand to see if it was actually as good as I remember...it is, smells great as well! It's currently on sale at boots! I also really like the word Serum...

Benefit They're Real Mascara- My life will not be complete until I am the owner of a limited edition They're Real Mascara. I haven't tried this mascara before but I've seen it everywhere and its about time I got it. Of course when I found out there was a limited edition version decorated in Swarovski crystals, I decided I had to get that one. I'm not sure how limited edition it is, i.e. when it will stop being sold but hopefully I'll get in before its gone!

Tartelette in bloom clay palette- I have seen this on a couple of blogs and youtube channels and it looks so lovely. Like most, I am a fan of my neutral shades and this is full of gorgeous neutral shades. I can see myself using most of them for just everyday make-up. I also love the names of the shades in this palette, my personal favourite is firecracker. 

Benefit Lip Tint - I'm not one to go for a bold lip, or a bold anything for that matter. But lips particularly I usually like to keep natural, I usually just apply lip balm throughout the day and don't bother with any other product. But there are some days when I feel like doing a little bit more. They have 4 shades of lip/cheek tint, my favourite is posietint so that's the one I'll be trying out first. 

And that's all...well I say that's all, there's plenty more and no doubt more will be added to my list but these are the things I've been lusting after the most at the minute. What products are you hoping to try out this year? 

xxx