The Christmas Outfit Dilemma: Christmas Day

Outfit: Christmas Day

 

I cant believe its just over a week till Christmas! I can't wait! I still need to wrap all the gifts Iv bought people...iv been putting it off, I'm terrible at wrapping!!... I've been reading DIY Christmas posts lately, I think I'm going to give home made Christmas cards a go next year, I just think they're so cute and personal!

Here are my picks for a Christmas day outfit...

If you can't rock a Christmas jumper on Christmas day, when can you?! I've gone for these two from Newlook, Christmassy, cosy and oh so cute, who doesn't love a reindeer print?! You can never go wrong with a pair of skinnies, Iv gone for a denim pair, not my usual black pair of skinnies, shock horror! lol I thought I'd bring some colour to my outfit on Christmas day! A statement necklace, I'm loving statement necklaces at the moment, the one here is from Newlook. A pair of tan ankle boots, again these are from Newlook...I'm loving Newlook right now! A simple and stylish watch and a classic black Zara bag.  I've also added in a red lip to dress it up.

Christmas outfit sorted!

 

Haul: Zara, Primark, Rimmel & more...

I know at this time of year its all about giving gifts to others, but I was Christmas shopping in Festival Place in Basingstoke a few days ago and had a moment of weakness, saw a bunch of pretty things...and just couldn't help myself! lol

Anyways, cracking on with my haul (I suggest getting a tea right about now as its a pretty long post lol!) here's what I bought... all necessary purchases of course! ...

The Christmas Outfit Dilemma: Part 2. Christmas Eve...

Outfit: Christmas Eve

 

I'm not the type of gal that dons a lot of bling or wears out there daring outfits, my style is more simple/chic (or at least I try!)/understated.  I tend to stick to neutral colours and as you can tell, I do wear alot of black!... although at Christmas time you have to have a little bling and glitz right...

Iv gone for a pair of classic black skinnys (again), black skinnys are just a classic piece that can be dressed up or dressed down, they just work for every occasion! They're a fail safe item that everyone needs in their wardrobe! Iv also gone for a black cami with a sexy lace insert (from topshop). I'm just in love with this top! I can think of a million different ways to style this!... Then a pair of black strappy heels, a delicate necklace, and to add some bling... a gold sequin clutch... throw on a blazer and your good to go!

The Christmas Outfit Dilemma: Part 1. The Work Christmas lunch...

The outfit dilemma… it’s the same every year, I never know what to wear for the main “events” for the holidays, you know the ones… The work Christmas lunch, Christmas eve, Christmas day and New Years eve.

I get stressed out enough as it is buying gifts for everyone and all the wrapping…I hate wrapping! I’ve never been very good at it! But then I have to decide on what to wear as well! Soo, I’ve decided to do a little 4 part series, just to show my “outfits of choice” for each of the 4 “events” of the holidays.

 

So this is Part 1…The work Christmas lunch outfit…

 

 

Outfit: Work Christmas lunch

 

My work Christmas lunch falls on a Friday, so it will be a “dress down day” but I didn’t want to dress down too much.  I wanted something comfy that’s still casual enough for the office but work meal out appropriate!

 

I’ve gone for a pair of black high waist skinny jeans (a wardrobe essential), a shirt that has a rather masculine cut but with a feminine print (I’ll be tucking this in to my high waist jeans and untucking it slightly round the edges, if that make sense!), a black blazer (another wardrobe essential) some cute boots, a black bag…you can never really go wrong with a Zara bag! And a gold spike necklace as a contrast to the girly heart print on the shirt.



Molecule 01: Review

I was on the hunt for a new perfume as my old favourite, Marc Jacobs Daisy, was on its last legs *sad face! Id heard rave reviews about this perfume on YouTube, blogs and even the Cult Beauty website! (See my cult beauty review here) so thought I’d take the plunge and order it for myself!

The sciency bit:

"Escentric Molecules' Molecule 01 is created from the aroma-chemical Iso E Super, which works as more of an effect than a fragrance. The subtle, velvety, woody scent melds with your natural pheromones, it smells different on everyone and alluring on anyone. You will rarely smell this fragrance on yourself, Molecule 01 is more about the effect it has on others.

Developed by rising star of the perfume world Geza Shoen, Molecule 01 is an innovative fragrance that melds with your natural pheromones to create an individual scent that is unique to you. Molecule 01 is an expert favourite that gives the unique quality of a bespoke fragrance with a purse-friendly price tag."

In all honesty, I’m not too sure on this perfume.  I’m not very good at describing scents, but to me it smells more like a cologne than a perfume, maybe that’s because I’m used to more floraly, sweet scents, to me this perfume is quite spicy and musky…although a friend of mine said it smelt more of soap or freshly washed clothes?! Lol I was under the impression from the description that you’re not supposed to smell this on yourself, but I can certainly smell it on me. But im not sure if the scent i can smell, is the scent that otehrs can smell on me?!  I can say that the reviews for this perfume on the Cult Beauty website make for very interesting reading! (link here)… I wish it made me smell of cake! Lol

I’d say for this perfume, purchase at your own risk! It does say that its supposed to smell different on everyone, maybe I should spritz it on the boy and see what it smells like on him?  I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing this when I eventually finish it! Luckily I purchased the small travel size bottle, Id recommend buying the smaller size first rather than invest in the bigger bottles!...On a side note, it would make for a great stocking filler this Christmas, more for the gimmick factor of finding out what this will smell like on you!

Escentual Haul!

I know its Christmas and really we're supposed to be buying gifts for friends and family, but i just cant help myself this time of year, especially with all the great offers and discounts out there!

I'm loving the Escentual website at the moment, they have so many great offers and have super quick delivery! I'd highly recommend checking out their site! I'm slightly addicted to Clarins products and Escentual offer my favourite products at such great prices! Iv already got my eye on a few more things from the Escentual website! Also, you need to check out their Christmas gift guides! such great ideas!!! Link here.

01.    Bioderma:  Clearly an "Escentual" (pun intended lol)! I'd run out and Escentual is one of the only websites I've found that stock Bioderma which is AMAZING!! I used to get it from Ebay, but sometimes you never really know what your getting! I trust Escentual. I have a post about the miracle that is Bioderma here.

02.    NUXE Reve de Miel lip balm:  I'm a major lip balm addict! I'd heard ravings about this on countless blogs and have wanted to try it for ages so thought id add it to my basket and see what all the hype is about... I can already tell this will make an appearance in my December favourites!!...This would also make a great stocking filler!

03.    Real Techniques, Sam's Picks:  An instagram friend of mine posted these brushes a while ago, I instantly decided that I needed them! lol After searching online, Escentual sell them for the BEST price!! I've used a few of the brushes already and I'm in love with the multi task brush and the crease brush! Also...these would make a great Christmas gift for someone who is just getting in to makeup! or simply wants to try out the Real Techniques brush line!

December: My Christmas Wish List & maybe a giveaway?

As it’s now December I can finally start getting into the Christmas spirit! Christmas movies, the Christmassy hot drinks, the decorations, Christmas music, cosy Christmas jumpers… I could go on, but I’ll stop myself! Lol I think is fair to say that I’m a total sap for it all!

 

I love reading the Christmas gift guide posts, but as there’s a ton of them flying about, so I thought I’d do a post of some of the things that are on my Christmas wish list this year! …

 

 

01.    Zara City Bag:    Chic, classic, perfect!

02.    Philosophy Bubble bath/Shower gel in Peppermint:    Anything to make my bath/shower experience better, I’m all over it! Plus, it’s the perfect Christmas scent!

03.    Aromatherapy Associates bell:    SO cute! And the perfect way to test out the brand!

04.    The Bobbie Brown eye shadow palette in soft brown:    The perfect palette??

05.    Laura Mercier blush in Peach Whisper:    I’ve been eyeing this up for ages, but have never taken the plunge to buy it, so why not add it to my Christmas list!

06.    Starbucks Hot Chocolate gift set:    Everyone loves a good Starbucks Christmas gift set… even if it’s just for the mugs! ;)

07.    Charbonnel et Walker, Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles:    My all time FAVORITES!


Ps.  If there’s enough interest, I was thinking of doing a little Christmas giveaway, just as a thank you to all the people still following my teeny blog! So to anyone out there who reads this, what do you think?

November Empties!

As my November favorites are pretty much the same as my October favorites (link here), I thought I would do a "November Empties" post instead.

I've not done one of these posts before, but enjoy reading other posts like this! I like to knwo what products peoepl have completly used up, iv they used up a whole product and are plannign to repurchase, you know it must be worth trying!


01 & 02.    L'Oreal Ever Riche Shampoo & Conditioner:  I’ve repurchased these like 3 times! This stuff does some serious hydrating on my huurr! The smell is amazing and as someone with long hair that’s been dyed within an inch of its life (needless to say I have very dry ends!) this does an amazing job at making my hair feel super soft and nourished! Plus these are usually on some kind of offer in Superdrug – bargain! I highly recommend trying these out!


03.          Smash Box Photo Finish Oil Free Primer:  I literally can’t rave about this primer enough!! I bought it on a total whim, I was in the que in boots, spotted it and chucked it in my basket… best decision I made! I’ll have a review coming up on this soon! It’s such a great primer, this makes my makeup last all day/all night! If need my makeup to last …this is the product that will make that happen! I highly recommend this! (its great for girls with oily skin!)


04.          L'Oreal Telescopic Water proof Mascara in Black: I’ve not really found my “one true love” mascara yet, but this is a great waterproof mascara! I love the brush, especially for coating my lover lashes and I don’t really get any smudge out from this mascara – which is what you hope for in a waterproof! I like to layer my mascaras, and this gives my lashes length without clumping them together, I may repurchase this! Watch this space! I would recommend giving this a try!


05.          Clarins Daily Energizer Wake Up Booster:  I mentioned this in my October favourites post [here]. I can’t get enough of this! Again, I’ll be reviewing this on its own soon too! This makes my skin feel so awake and fresh in the mornings! I even use this at night, I just love the way it makes my skin feel! I think this was my 3rd bottle (I’ve already bought another bottle!  I picked mine up from Esscentual here).


06.          Clarins Daily Energizer Moisturiser:  I can’t remember how may pots of this stuff I’ve gone through, my skin just loves this! I’ve got quite sensitive skin, so sometimes when I use a moisturiser my face turns a lovely shade of beetroot! But not with this! It doesn’t irritate my skin at all and keeps it hydrated all day…and it smells amazing, as do all Clarins products…I do have quite a Clarins addiction!


07.          Bioderma:  I have a review on this on my blog here.  I think this is my 5 or 6 bottle of this, I love it.  It’s quick, simple and super gentle on my skin! An all round beauty/skincare routine staple!!

Bobbi Brown Haulin'

 

When ever I walked past the Bobbi Brown counter I would always swatch the concealers, but never purchased.  I finally gave in and let one of the Bobbi Brown makeup artists at my local counter colour match me!

 

At first I wanted just the concealer, but she managed to persuade me to try the Bobbi Brown hydrating under eye cream first. She swiped a tiny amount under each eye using a cotton bud… now let me tell ya, my eyes had never felt so awake! I felt a difference straight away! – a very clever sales tactic there, one I fell hook line and sinker for!

 

This is a gorgeous eye cream and the women who was colour matching me also told me it also acts as a bit of a primer and helps the concealer last that tiny bit longer.  Anything that helps my under eye makeup stay put gets a thumbs up from me! But I have to say, I haven’t really noticed my under eye makeup lasting any longer!  However, I love the feel of this under my eyes, for me it does make them feel quite hydrated and awake – always a good thing in the morning!

 

Iv been using this in the mornings and found that as I only need the tiniest amount, this pot of moisturizer is going to last me a while! Plus I love the packaging!

 

 

 
After slapping on the Bobbi Brown hydrating under eye cream, she used the Bobbi Brown corrector in Extra Light Bisque. As someone with extremely dark circles under my eyes, I wasn’t expecting the Bobbi Brown Corrector to do all that much, but I was pleasantly surprised! It brighten my under eye area and did a great job at cancelling out some of the bluely/purple tones!
 
I apply this with my fingers, mainly because I’ve always done that with concealer and I don’t have a brush I like to use for concealer yet! I swirl my finger in it to warm the product up and pat it on where I need it.

On top of the corrector she then applied the concealer in Cool Sand.  I was hoping this was the miracle dark circle concealer I was looking for!  I have to say, I’m impressed! My old faithful concealer is the Collection concealer, which has quite a liquidy consistency to it, the texture of the Bobbi brown concealer, and the corrector for that matter, is buttery soft!

 

This does a great job of covering my pesky dark circles! It takes a little while to blend in to the skin and I find that I have to put a good two layers of this on, but I do really like it.  I wouldn’t say it’s a miracle concealer just yet, but it’s very close!

 

I ended up purchasing the concealer with the setting powder. In all honesty, I haven’t used this very much, I just forget about it! Bad Hayley! I suppose you could use the setting powder, not just for setting under eye makeup, but if you need a little “on the go” shine control! – I’ll have to keep you posted about the setting powder! But for now, I’m very happy with my dive in to the world of Bobbi Brown concealing!

Black & Gold

I’ve been obsessed with black and gold lately! Most of my outfit choices at the moment consist of monochrome black and white with touches of gold, or an all black outfit with gold accessories.  I have to say that I’m a fan of black, I’m not one to experiment much with colour in my wardrobe, I’m more of a neutrals girl, especially in the Winter.
 
New Look this past month have been satisfying my addiction for black and gold and have been offering up some gorgeous accessories and shoes!




I picked up this B.E.A.utiful pair of heels a while ago, I saw them and instantly fell in love with them! They had to be mine… even if my bank balance didn’t agree at the time! These heels are co chic and stylish, they can literally class up any outfit! I’m not a great heel wearer but they’re surprisingly quite comfortable! They’re a wide fit, so I ended up going for a size down from what I usually wear.  I wore these heels for round about 9 hours on Saturday night before the balls of my feet started to sting!  Pretty good going for heels don’t ya think?!


I picked up this beaut of a necklace a week or so after I picked up the heels.  I love that it has an Egyptian/Aztec vibe to it.  I’m not really one for the whole statement necklace trend, but I saw this and couldn’t help myself!  Again, it just looks chic, it will take an outfit from day to night and I like the fact its not too “blingy”, some of the statement necklaces out there are a bit too sparkly for my tastes! This necklace is a perfect starter to ease in to the statement necklace trend!... and it goes perfectly with my heels I just mentioned, my black structured skater skirt from New Look (that came with a lovely skinny black belt with a gold buckle) and my black Cami from topshop! – my current go to night out ensemble.

Cult Beauty Haulin'

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Cult Beauty but had never bought anything from their website before. I was after the Molecule 01 Perfume so thought why the hell not pop my Cult Beauty cherry!

Upon browsing the lust worthy pages of all things beauty on the Cult Beauty website, I decided to buy, of course, the Molecule 01 perfume, the reason for my visit to Cult Beauty. I’m so glad I picked this up! I decided to go for the 100ml travel size version, or refill I think they call it. As I had never smelt it, I thought going for the smaller size was the safest option… the reviews of this on Cult Beauty make for very interesting reading! So far I’m loving the scent, very autumnal! Full review of this new little baby will be popping up on the ol’ blog soon I think!

I also picked up Therapie’s Hair and Body wash. I first heard about this after watching a video on YouTube with Vivianna Does Makeup and the PixiWoo sisters – video here. It just sounded right up my alley and for the price tag, I thought why the hell not try it?! I was in one of those “I’m bored, I’m going to buy things to cheer myself up” kinda moods lol. On first whiff, I’m very please with my purchase! I’m sure this will warrant a post of its own soon too!

A nice little surprise was waiting for me at the checkout, I got to pick 3 lovely little samples! I don’t know about anyone else but I love it when you get free samples with purchase! I get to try things that I would never normally have picked and/or tried! Plus who doesn’t love getting something for free?! I decided to go for the Embryolisse moisturiser, the Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxident Hydrator and the Jouer Moisture Tint in Pearl. I can’t wait to give these a try! Overall Cult Beauty have come up trumps on the “Online Beauty Shopping” front! Their delivery was super quick, although I did have to pay for it, I couldn’t find a free delivery code unfortunately! But I loved their packaging they sent the products in. They really have some hidden treasures on their website, I know its only a matter of time before I go back and fill my virtual shopping basket to the brim!

Beauty Wish List: November

01.    Therapie Hair & Body Wash:  I spotted this on Cult Beauty, the description totally drew me in.

02.    Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray:  I have the mini of this and after working my way through it within weeks, I NEED to purchase the full size! The mini was featured in my October Favourites! Link here.

03.    Bobbi Brown Warm Eye Shadow Pallet:  I've never given Bobbi Brown eye shadows a go before, but if their concealers and blushers are anything to go by, I know I'm going to love this! This is also part of their limited edition Christmas collection - go check it out!

04.    Laura Mercier Blush in Peach Whisper:  I swatched this in John Lewis in West Quay a couple weeks back and havent stopped thinking about it! Such a gorgeous shade! You can read about my experience at West Quay here.

05.    Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Defused Light: These have been doing the rounds on the Internet... I wanna joint this club and find out what all the fuss is about!

06.    Molecule 01 Perfume:  I'm on the hunt for a new perfume and I've had my eye on this one for a while.  The reviews on Cult Beauty make for interesting reading!

Iv fallen for Essie!

Essie Fall Favourites £12.99

I was wondering round Boots on my lunch break the other day and not being one to walk past an Essie stand without taking a peek…I spotted this little collection.  The shades are gorgeous.  You have Bahama Mama which is a gorgeous deep plumy red shade, I feel very grown up with this shade on my nails ha! and the other is Chinchilly, a lovely taupey neutral shade.  This little collection covers all the nail colour bases for this Autumn and at only £12.99 it’s a steal! Considering these are full size polishes and are usually £7.99 each!  The one thing I will say is that with both of these shades, you will need a good 2/3 coats on your nails as they both tend to come out a little sheer on first application, but the shades are so pretty, I can live with that!

Ps.  Boots are currently having their usual 3 for 2 offer at the moment… which includes Essie polishes and this little beaut! …Run!

October Favourites...

I love looking at everyone top products of the month... I always find like 50 things I need to add to my wish list! Anyways, here are my October favourites...

Make Up:

01.    MUA Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette: I've been getting in to eyeshadow this month and this palette offers up some lovely neutral colours for a newbie to eyeshadow like me!

 

02.    Smashbox Photo Finish Oil-Free Primer: This stuff is amazing! After slapping this on, my makeup lasts pretty much all day! Iv even turned a couple of friends on to this stuff!

 

03.    Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light: My t-zone has been bit of an oily mess lately, so I've been whipping this bad boy out to help, I'm not a fan of the overly matte look, but a light dusting of this sets my makeup and I'm good to go!

 

04.    Baby Lips Lip Balm in Minty Fresh: I'm a fan of lip balm and this is the one iv been reaching for most, mainly because its kept in my bag but I'm loving the minty flavour.

 

05.    The Balm Frat Boy Blush: Iv got a post coming up on this little beauty soon. The perfect peachy pink shade, a little goes a long way with this blush!

 

Skincare:

 

06.    Clarins Daily Energizer Wake up Booster: I use this morning and night. I cant stop using it, a swipe of this over my face leaves my skin feeling fresh, clean and just so awake! A permanent fixture in my skincare routine

07.    La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo: Another permanent fixture, this keeps pesky breakouts at bay!

Hair: 

08.    Oribe Maximista Thinkening Spray:  A post coming soon! This does exactly what it says on this tin!...dareI say it... a holy grail hair product!

09.    Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray: Quite possibly the best dry shampoo/texturising spray iv ever used!

Randoms:

10.    Laura Mercier Tarte au Citron Candle:   I bought this in the Space NK sale at the end of last year, it smelt so good that I didn't want to burn it! Needless to say, iv given in to temptation and I'm so glad i did! It has notes of critus and I think vanilla, which I know sounds like an odd pairing but it smells SO good! I dont think you can purchase this anymore, but it is included in their Votive Candle Sampler Collection, available for pre-order on Space NK online here. The Sampler Collection would make a such a lovely Christmas Present!

11.    Charbonnel et Walker, Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles: Little pink dusted chocolate balls of heaven, so good! And oh so pretty!... post here.

12.    The Big Bang Theory... need I say more?

 

West Quay Shopping Centre, Southampton ...

This weekend me and the boy took a trip to West Quay... and it was bloomin AMAZING! I know it’s sad that I get a bit over excited about a shopping centre, but you NEED to go visit this place! Check out their website here for a full list of their shops, there are also a few shops such as Primark, Topshop, Urban Outfitters and one of the best Boots iv ever been in, just outside of West Quay Centre on the high street.

We were staving when we got there, so paid a visit to the Food Hall first... and oh my lord! There are so many great places to go eat! We settled on a Wagamamas. The service was great, really quick and our waiter was a doll and not to mention the food was sooo good!

I then dragged the boy to John Lewis...oh John Lewis, this is where a lot of my spending went down! The John Lewis beauty hall is amazing! The sea of beauty counters, the Mulberry and Michael Kors accessories... Its heaven for a beauty and fashion junkie like me!  They've also finally got a Mac counter and have the prettiest Jo Malone counter I ever did see!

I treated myself to some Bobbie Brown goodies. The staff were so lovely and friendly, actually I found the staff to be lovely on most of the counters.  I have been eyeing up the Bobbie Brown correctors and concealers for a while, so I asked to get colour matched.  Before putting the concealer on, she used the Bobbie Brown Hydrating under eye cream… let me tell you, with the combination of these products my eyes have never felt or looked so awake!…needless to say I splurged and purchased the lot! – a post to come soon on these beauties!

After quite a long time walking my way around John Lewis, we ended up in Superdry – They have their own makeup line, which is news to me! And I now have my eye on 2 of their coats, also their rucksacks are super cute! We then made a trip to Hollister, their Tidelands Beach body mist is so nice, I’m tempted to order this online, if your near a Hollister you seriously need to go give this a whiff!

Of course I made the obligatory trip to Zara, it would have been rude not to! I then allowed the boy in to some of his man shops!

Just outside of West Quay Shopping Centre (on the high street) they have an amazing Urban Outfitters that of course I had to pay a visit to! I loved their candles! I highly recommend taking a whiff! They have some really unusual scents that I’ve not seen anywhere else, you can find their candle selection online here, my faves are Prosecco Candle, Elderflower & Champagne Candle and Raspberry & Papaya Candle!

Theres also a HUGE boots with an amazing beauty hall, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw their fully stocked Bumble and Bumble counter…the shop assistant actually asked if I was alright!... I was in Boots heaven with their Bumble & Bumble, Ojoin, Philosophy, Stila and This Works counters, it would have been illegal to walk away without purchasing something!

I had such a great day, I was shattered by the end of it!... anyways, to cut a long story (or should I say blog post short) I highly recommended West Quay shopping Centre…also, I’m just putting this out there… there’s an IKEA just down the road!! …What’s not to love about that?!

Pink Champagne Truffles!

I was a bit naughty the other day and splurged on some Pink Marc De Chapagne Truffles. They're my ultimate faves! They'r super yummy and the ultimate girly chocolate! Who doesnt like trufels right? They sell them around this time of year in my local garden centre of all places! My local garden centre is little treasure trove... It stocks yankee candles, catch kidston and lots of homemade cakes and wines etc. I think I'm going to have to go back and purchase some more! The packaging is super cute and they'd make a perfect gift! You can find them online here, you seriously need to try them... They are heaven in a pretty box!

The Shirt!

H&M Plaid Shirt £19.99

Is it weird to be in love with a piece of clothing?... I'm a massive lover of the plaid shirt and when I spotted this one in H&M yesterday, I couldn't stop thinking about it! I know, lame right!

It's so soft and comfy, I know I'm going to wear this to death! I saw it and thought this shirt was perfect for the autumn/winter months, paired with some skinny jeans and ankle boots... The combo I'm currently wearing it with!

Personal Update!

*pre-warning - this is a bit of a personal post, if its not your cup of tea, this post is not for you!

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After an 8 moth hiatus, I’m finally back baby! God iv missed doing this whole blogging thing!... So much has happened in these past 8 months that I feel like I’ve changed in to a new person ...So, with a new me, I felt like I needed a new blog, to start a fresh! …And so Sailor Stories was born!

(Life story coming up…if you don’t want to read, avert your eyes now!)

I know 8 months isn’t really a long time for someone to change but within those 8 months I've had to deal with some pretty heavy things... firstly, I broke up with the boyfriend, that meant that I had to move back home, which in itself is sole destroying! I’ve gone from having my own space, my own independence, to going right back to the beginning again!... It also didn’t help that within a month he had found himself someone new! My heart was literally in pieces! It was a really tough breakup for me!

A month or two later my Grandmother suffered a stroke suddenly and past away within a few weeks. It was horrible and so out of the blue. The day before it happened she was completely fine, the next day, the stroke happened. It really made me sit up and think… anything can happen; we need to enjoy life while we can people, you never know what’s around the corner waiting to happen. I was constantly checking my phone for any news about her, wondering when I would get “the call”. I was half way to work one morning when I got "the call".

The same time that my grandmother was in the hospital; my grandfather was in hospital too, he was suffering from organ failure. He started to get better and was going to be allowed home, but caught pneumonia, he never did make it home. A months after my grandmother passed away, my grandfather also died. To have two relatives in the hospital at the same time, pretty much waiting to die, is heartbreaking.

I can’t even put in to words the emotional strain this had on my entire family! I couldn’t concentrate, I was constantly wondering when I would get a phone call telling me one of them had gone and still can’t believe that I will never see these two amazing and beautiful people again … I had never experienced a death in the family before and this year I had 2 deaths in 2 months to deal with, needless to say that blogging was the least of my priorities! I had to be there and be strong for my family.

(Life story over! Lol)

Things in the past couple of months have taken a turn for the better though and I’m starting to feel like myself again! Me and the boyfriend are back together! (after some major grovelling on his part and lots of tears from me!) My family are closer than ever and I feel like this year has changed me for the better!

Well that’s my (essay like) update over! No more sad posts from now on!

Hope all you beauts out there are having a lovely week!

Its the little things...

I got this sweet gift from my lovely little sister at the weekend, how cute is the little bird?! (the box is super pretty to! Very Cath Kidston!) Im still trying to figure out where to hang it.  It was a thank you gift, which I wasn't expecting at all...surprise gifts are always the best :)

Hope all you lovelies are having a great week & enjoyed making pancakes! Me and the boy completely forgot it was pancake day, so we've decided to make some tomorrow instead...I'm thinking pancakes with nutella and banana umm :) On another random note, I can't believe Valentines Day has come rolling round again! I really need to get my ass into gear and get the boy a card and gift! lol!

YSL Shocking! ...

YSL Shocking Mascara £19.55 feelunique.com (on sale)

 

I'm a sucker for the YSL packaging! Gold, sleek and so damn pretty! I picked this little beaut up a while ago and realised that I haven't stopped using it since.

Iv had this product for a while but I never thought to review it as I'm still searching for "the one" for me when it comes to mascara. It wasn't until I realised that I had pretty much used it up and was thinking of repurchasing it that I knew I had to review it!

The brush doesn't look much in the picture, but it coats the lashes like a dream! It doesn't clump together, it holds a curl in my lashes and doesn't give me the dreaded panda eyes! Its not a waterproof mascara but stays on the lashes all day and doesn't slide off and end up half way down my face like other non waterproof mascaras.

When it comes to mascaras, I do prefer high end as I find that I need to use more product to get the look I want.  I'd highly recommend giving this a go, I'm defo going to repurchase - I think this may be the first repurchase of a mascara iv used!

Hope all you beauts are having a great weekend! ...For once I'm looking forward to Monday - I have the day off :)