Autumn Fashion Wish List

Autumn Wish List with French Connection, ZARA, H&M

 

 

I posted my September Beauty Wish List a couple of weeks ago and today I thought I'd show you what I have my beady little eyes on fashion-wise. 

 

 

1)  ASOS Swing Dress In Swan Print

This is so cute, little swans facing each other, aww! I'd wear it loads, probably with a thin belt around the wast, opaque tights and either boots or flats. Plus it's only £25!

 

 

2) ZARA Mini Office City Bag 

The Zara city bag is lovely but it's a bit too much for me; I don't carry ipads or anything else around on a daily basis, so I just don't need so much space. This  mini version is the perfect size and I love the colour - so much more cheerful than the black bag i'm lugging around at the moment. Plus it's £29.99, which I think is really reasonable.

 

 

3) H&M Jersey Dress

I really like how the skirt of this flares out and I think it'd be a handy little dress to be able to chuck on at weekends. It's only £12.99 and again, with ankle boots and tights its handy for winter - I'm so imaginative...!

 

 

4) Miss KG Bali Chelsea Brogue Flat Boots

Every time I go into a shop at the moment I keep gravitating towards chelsea boots; I love that they look so dressy but are practical and warm for winter.  I think these ones are really pretty, but at £70 I'd want leather boots, which these aren't, so unless I can get them in the sale, I'll probably go for similar ones from elsewhere.

 

5)French Connection Spectacular Sparkle Dress

This would be a massive extravagance at £160 but it'd be so perfect for the Christmas period.  I love the shape too, so flattering!

 

 

6) French Connection Glorious Wool Coat

Everyone seems to be going bananas for the pink Zara coat at the moment, but it's just not for me; I prefer a girlier winter coat and I think this one is perfect.  I tend to buy a new winter cost every year, wear it to death and then buy another the next year.  Last year my most worn coat was £10 from George in the sale (also pink!) and although I loved it I reckon I'm due a slightly pricier coat this year & this one is so pretty!

 

What's on your wishlist this autumn?

 

 

Suzy xx

 

You can catch up on my September Beaty Wishlist here :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

Sadly, today I come to you with some disappointing news.  I don't know how to break this, other than; Rimmel's Stay Matte Foundation sucks.  Noone likes a Negative Nancy, but if it stops anyone wasting their money then Nancy I shall be.

I mentioned on my Spending Spree post that I'd bought this and was excited to try it.  I so wanted to love it, and I've given it a fair go this week.  But it's just god-awful.  I hoped it would be wonderful because I love a matte finish, but this is just the driest substance I have ever tried to put on my face.  It's honestly like trying to smear tile grout across your face, well I imagine it is anyway.

As it's so thick you end up using loads of it in comparison to any of Rimmel's other foundations and it's in a squeezy tube, which I think gives you much less control than a pump, although you'd need industrial machinery if you wanted to pump this!

It's so thick that I couldn't use my Real Techniques blending brush to apply it as I usually would, so I had to use my fingers, which gets my back up straight away.  I hate having messy hands, eurgh.
Anyway I persevered and made an attempt to blend it in, but it just isn't really blendable.  It made itself comfy in my pores, sat there and enjoyed the spectacle of me trying to fight back.  It won.

In terms of it's main feature, once applied, I don't feel it stays matte on my t-zone.  I'd say after half an hour my nose starts to become oily, and by the end of the day it wears worse than a regular foundation, leaving patches on my chin and forehead.

I really have nothing positive to say- other than it only costs £5.99, so it wasn't the most costly mistake I've made, but still; annoying.  I love Rimmel as a brand, and they have some brilliant foundations, but sadly this isn't one of them.  Match Perfection and Stay Matte Powder will leave you much more matte by the end of the day.


Have you tried Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation? I'd love to know what you thought of it!

Suzy
xx





 mmy

#TheSOproject Week 5: Blusher!

Last week's Starting Off Project post was a bit of a 'mare for me since I don't use bronzer (if you haven't had a read of my unmissable (!) tips yet you can catch up here), so I was happy when I checked the schedule and this week was blusher week.

I've always been a big fan of a rosy cheek.  In my teenage years slightly too much of a fan - think big pink doll-like circles - but blusher has remained something that I tend never to leave the house without, along with foundation and mascara. Make sure that when you apply you blusher you aren't smiling and applying it to the apples of your cheeks like off of the 80's! Follow the natural line of your cheekbone.

As I favour such a matte finish to my make up, if I don't put a little bit of colour back into my cheeks, I risk looking like a corpse. To brighten up my cheeks I always use either a powder blush or a cheek stain.  Cream blushes are out of the question because I feel as though they slide around my skin by the end of the day...and they remind me of old women.  I can't even explain why they remind me of old women, they just really do.  I also find cream blush incompatible with the powder I use to set my make up - at no point does it seem like the correct step for it to be applied!


As luck would have it I posted a couple of weeks ago about cheek stains and why I think they're wonderful - you can have a read of that post here, but in summary my favoured stain is Cheekmate by Soap and Glory, and I like to apply it with my ring finger. It stays put for ages and it's a lovely rosy shade.

My recommended powder blush is MUA Blusher in the shade Lolly which is £1.  It's described by MUA as being 'soft orange' but I think it's more of a rose pink.  It's a matte blush, which I favour because I don't like shiny cheeks, and it applies beautifully with my Real Techniques Contour Brush. 
I honestly don't think you could tell once it's on the cheeks that it only costs £1, and now that MUA have changed the packaging and it's a little sturdier I'm even happier.

(Lolly: I can't even describe how far away this is from the actual shade. Sadly mine is too grotty to show)

If you're after a slightly more extravagant cheek then I also really like Clinique's Fresh Bloom All Over in Peony Blend, which is a highlighter as well as blush, but is really subtle and pretty. Unfortunately it's £26 so I haven't been abled to justify repurchasing it just yet.

 

Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed week 5.  Next week is Mascara week - follow me on Bloglovin to make sure you don't miss it! I'm genuinely excited to write mine and to read everyone's recommendations cos I loooooove mascara!

Suzy
xx

 

Maybelline Baby Lips!

I'm almost reluctant to talk about this subject because there has already been so much written.  However, as my mother frequently pointed out during my teenage years; I always have to had the last word in an argument.  Well perhaps not the last say in this case, but I certainly couldn't let it pass without adding my two cents.

I'm confused as to why I keep hearing this product described as being 'overrated'.  Its lipbalm and it costs £2.99.  Can you really overrate a lipbalm?  Surely it can only ever really perform one function? I think it's been over marketed by Maybelline and everyone is sick of the sight of it, but for it to be overrated seems a stretch to me.

The packaging is cute, the balm smells yummy and the colour payoff is pretty good for a balm.  It isn't going to provide as much moisture as a 'serious' lip moisturising product; if you want that don't bother.  Instead, it's a cute little addition to your cosmetics bag, the colour versions give a pretty little tint to your lips and will briefly add some moisture. 
It won't change your life, but nor will it destroy your lips or break the bank.  Cheer up folks, it's just lipbalm. 

Quite what everyone was expecting from this product, I don't know, again - lipbalm?! - but it seems Maybelline were slightly too good at promoting it, to the extent where people developed such high hopes it was only ever going to end up in disappointment.  Probably not helped by the fact we had to wait so long for the UK launch  - cruel trick, Maybelline!

Once the range finally made it to the UK I acquired 3, mostly because they were on 3 for 2 - Pink Punch, Cherry Me and Peach Kiss. They all smell good, but my favourite is Pink Punch because I like the shade on my lips.  I've used all 3 quite a lot - I have one at home, one in my car and one in a drawer at work - and I would repurchase them.

(L-R Cherry Me, Pink Punch, Peach Kiss)

 

If I was to pick fault it'd be preferable if the balm was shaped like a lipstick, rather than a flat top, just because it'd be easier to apply.  But i'll cope. I know, I'm a trooper..

Which is your favourite shade of Babylips? & what do you think of them?

Suzy
xx

Sunday Spending Spree

I've been such a Moaning Myrtle this week; if you follow me on twitter you'll have been subjected to my woes all week while I've been in bed with gastric flu. I've felt much better this weekend so I decided to treat myself to a little pick me up:  Yesterday I went wedding dress shopping with my mum (more on that in my wedding series!), and today I went to the Trafford Centre with Adam armed with my list of things I wanted.

Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC30

I mentioned on my September wishlist post that I've wanted this for ages and I'm really excited to try it. My skin has been super oily lately and my foundation hasn't been lasting too well so I'm definitely up for trying something different. Currently trying to resist taking off my make up so I can put it on.  So tempted!
This was £21.50 in Selfridges.

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation in Light Porcelain

If you have eyes you can't have failed to notice how hard Rimmel have been trying to flog this new foundation; countless tv adverts, magazines, and promotions in Boots/Superdrug.  Normally I resist such determined marketing at all costs, but I'm so taken in by matte products that I had to buy it.  I know.  I'm ashamed of myself too..!
I will potentially live to regret my colour choice, but the Ivory shade came out alarmingly orange on my hand so I went for the lightest shade.  If all else fails it's nearly Halloween!
Stay Matte is £5.99 in Boots and Superdrug.  I bought it as part of Superdrug's 'buy one get one half price' offer.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Peach Glow
Stay Matte Powder was my 'get one half price' in the aforementioned offer.  I honestly haven't used this since I was about 16 so I'm interested to see how it does.  I only bought this because Superdrug were sold out of my favourite power - MUA's Matte Perfect Loose Powder.
Full price this is £3.99. 

VO5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo

Best dry shampoo ever.  And half price at £1.72...YAY!


MUA Nail Polish In Plum Noir
I posted here about how much I love MUA's £1 nail polishes and I thought this shade was absolutely perfect for autumn.  It's a beautiful rich purple and i'm going to use it with my new favourite topcoat - Barry M's All in One Basecoat, Topcoat & Nail Hardener to give it a bit of extra shine and longevity.

Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Eau de Toilette 30ml
I've wanted this for about 2 months now, and now I have it I cant stop sniffing myself.  It may pose a problem.  I just smell tooooooo good! It's red plum & freesia and it's a sweet scent but with darker notes that are presumably the 'seduction' aspect of it.  I was really happy that Adam picked this one out of all the ones we tested, because I think it's yummy.  I decided to just buy this one for £11 today since I was buying so many other things, but next time I'm going to go for the 3 for £24 offer and get the body mist and a different eau de toilette too - there's so many amazing scents, I'm currently covered in about 10 different ones because I couldn't stop spraying!

So that's it for my little Sunday spree, I'll update with that I think of the foundations once I've given them a good test!

Have you tried any of these products?


Suzy
xx

 

Wedding Series #3 How We're Saving Up

I know money can be a slightly sensitive subject and I don't profess to be any kind of expert but I've really enjoyed reading about how other brides-to-be have saved up and budgeted for their weddings, and I thought it might be vaguely interesting to talk about how we're doing it. A lot of the methods we've used aren't wedding specific so anyone wanting to save/make a little extra money can keep reading too...you're not getting away with it that easily ;)


We're about half-way to saving for our wedding and honeymoon, with 9 months to go...eeek! Typically it's me that does the wheeling and dealing (slightly overstating it..) with money, Adam is cheap to keep and he tends to just float along not worrying about it.  I wouldn't say I worry about money either but I quite enjoy the little thrill of making a little extra cash or vouchers unexpectedly, and it makes me feel a bit less guilty for all the stuff I buy because it's offset slightly.

For ease of reading I'll split it into two sections:  Spending Less and Earning More


Spending Less

Individual Savings Account -ISA
Not the most exciting way of making money but it's effective and kills two birds with one stone - saving money and making money from the interest.  I've made sure that every month since we got engaged, as soon as we've been paid I squirrel a big chunk of money away into an ISA - I find we don't miss it so much if it was never in the equation.  Everyone in the UK has a personal tax-free allowance of £5760, per year, and if you shop around you should be able to find an account paying interest of 2-3%, which might not sound a lot but I think getting get a couple of hundred extra pounds per year just by having your savings in an account is pretty super duper!
I'm also less likely to fritter money away if it's in a separate bank account that isn't quite as easy to plunge into as my current account.

 

Food Shopping
I've always been a big fan of Aldi as I think a lot of their produce is really good quality.  Since we've been saving up though we've made a more concerted effort to buy as much of our shopping from there as possible, rather than paying crazy Tesco prices, just for convenience.
Aldi's fruit and veg is really good, and I love the offers they do, particularly the super 6, where fruit and veg is massively reduced.  Some things will always have to be the proper brand - crisps, beans, yoghurts etc, but there's no good reason I can't get most of my shopping from there. 

Voucher Codes
Having always been tight with money, I undertake a time consuming and relentless mission to locate a voucher code for all online purchases.  This can be somewhat infuriating for hungry family members who just want to ORDERTHEDOMINOS.  But I can't.  Until I've ruled every code in or out. It'd definitely worth doing though, I quite often find a 10/15% off code or free p&p.  It's the little victories!
Good sites for this are: Voucher Codes and Retail Me Not but there are countless similar sites.

Earning More Money

Ebay
Selling your tat is a really good way of saving up; so far this year we've gotten rid of a load of old computer games, clothes and I even managed to get shut of a spare bottle of Pixi Glow Tonic for almost double the price I paid.  Admittedly it's a bit of a faff having to take pictures, write the descriptions and then coordinate postage, but the Ebay app is brilliant because you can now take a picture and upload it straight from the app.  You have to accept that sometimes you'll make less than you wanted (I still haven't forgotten you, pure silk dress from Monsoon...£10.00..!), but I'd say over time it evens itself out.

 

Cashback
There are several cashback sites which you can go through to make your online purchases and receive cashback or gift vouchers.I use topcashback, which has some really generous cashback percentages.  Sometimes these can take a while to show in your account, and I'd always go with the cheaper-on-the-day price, rather than what would be the cheapest with the cashback offer, just because I'm cautious like that, but for barely 30 seconds extra work when making an online purchase it'd definitely worth signing up to a cashback site.  I've made around £50 this year from doing this, and I do sometimes forget to make my purchases through topcashback, so it should be more really.
I've had cashback for my weekly online food shop, beauty and fashion purchases, as well as  home and car insurance - pretty much all companies have some kind of cashback offer on there so don't forget to look!

Shop and Scan
Shop and Scan is a consumer panel where you are rewarded with gift vouchers for providing information about your weekly  shopping habits.  Once accepted you are provided with a barcode scanner and are required to upload this information weekly, as well as providing pictures of your receipts.  I've found the company a bit of a pain in the bum to deal with - on a couple of occasions I've received rather pushy phonecalls, bordering on rude, when I've forgotten to upload my barcodes on a certain week, and I wouldn't say they were particularly generous in terms of points awarded, but It's not a massive chore to do once a week and I've decided to save up the vouchers for a bigger purchase, which keeps me motivated to keep going with it.  For your first upload you are awarded 1000 points (£10), but then it takes on average 6-7 weeks to accumulate each subsequent £10 voucher. You can choose from all manner of vouchers - we went with Amazon because it's a safe bet they'll stock anything we want.
To sign up to shop and scan there is a waiting list, so you need to register first at www.volunteer4panels.com/ and then carry on with your life until they decide you are worthy!

 

 

 

Survey Sites
The main 3 sites I am a member of are Valued opinions, Swagbucks and Toluna.
Again, survey sites aren't going to make a huge contribution to your savings, but I like receiving vouchers that I don't feel guilty spending, because it means I don't dip into our actual money for my frivolous little purchases.
I'm quite faddy when it comes to completing these surveys - the end reward seems a long was away so I'm not completely motivated all the time.
Generally you are first asked several qualifying questions to determine if you fall within the target sample, if not you aren't allowed to continue and you aren't compensated for your time on that survey.  This can be quite infuriating when you've already answered 20 questions, to be told, oh actually, you don't qualify, soz. This is very naughty, survey sites- tut.
Of the sites I am a member of Valued Opinions is the most generous - usually £0.50 to £1 per survey.  It's also the quickest to credit your account.  Toluna is pitifully slow with awarding your points, but I have had a couple of £10 vouchers from them in the last year, so if you have the time it's still worth a go.

 

 

Mystery Shopping - Market Force, Gapbuster
Now, I've only done this twice, so i'm not an expert, but potentially mystery shopping could be quite a lucrative sideline.  I've been offered jobs paying up to £100, but most are in the region of £10-20.  You are just required to go to the required place, at the required time and make a purchase.  You must then feed back on your experience, usually within the same day.  It's not for the faint hearted, and I'm terrible under pressure, so my heart was beating out of my chest, from the fear they might know I was a mystery shopper.  By law in the UK mystery shoppers must declare themselves as self employed as any income is subject to tax, which is a bit off putting for an occasional £10 profit.  If you're lucky though you can be chosen for panels to review hotels, high end shops, and restaurants. As it was, I went to KFC.  And bought a bucket meal. Different worlds!

Marking for an Exam Board
This is quite specific to teachers really, but if you're a teacher and aren't already marking GCSE/A Level for an exam board I'd definitely recommend it as a nice little income boost.  Most exam boards pay a set fee for each allocation, plus a bonus for timely completion, as well as a higher bonus rate for extra marking.  For two, two-week marking periods (January and June) I tend to end up with around £1600, which makes a massive difference financially and tends to pay for my car insurance and a holiday every year.  Technically Adam could become an assessor too as we're both teachers, but marking to such tight deadlines is so intense that our house would be chaos if we were both doing it!


Sadly our main expenditure aside from bills, is travel to and from work, which there is no avoiding.  Aside from a few measly Tesco Clubcard points on the £55-ish I spend on petrol every week, we haven't worked out how to claw any money back from this - if you have any ideas do let me know!

Hopefully this might have given you some ideas or motivation for saving or making a little extra money, and thank you if you made it all the way to the end..it turned into a bit of a book!


Suzy
xx

MUA Review Series #4 Eye Primer

I'm really enjoying writing this mini series reviewing MUA products and if judged purely on views and comments people seem to be happy to read the posts, which is lovely – so on I go!

MUA fit in with my belief that make-up of a decent quality needn't cost the earth, and every budget product that I genuinely like feels like a proverbial slap in the face for the more expensive brands and their slick marketing teams who stick their label on a mediocre product and we all baa our way down to Boots to buy it - of which I have been frequently guilty.
That's not to say that I've loved every MUA product I've tried, however.

This week I thought I'd talk about a product I use most days: Pro Base Eye Primer. Since starting to wear eyeshadow pretty much every day, within the last year or so, I frequently experienced the nasty creasing and uneven wear that comes with the application of make up at 6.30am and my return home around 12 hours later. So I decided it was time for a primer. Because my morning routine didn't have enough stages already..!



I was quite surprised to have this one recommended to me by my high-end-makeup-loving colleague, as I've never seen her use anything lower on the food chain than Clinique. She in turn had had it recommended to her by the make-up artist she frequently uses for weddings and events, so the signs were promising.


As with most MUA products the packaging is no-frills, but it's functional and after around 4 months it still looks the same as the day of purchase. The primer has a doe-foot applicator, which needs to be wiped before use because it's a bit keen-bean with the amount of product it brings out, especially as a little goes a long way. It doesn't look dissimilar to liquid concealer; beige with perhaps a slightly more pink-tone. Unlike other primers this doesn't dry clear, or soak in - it leaves a subtle creamy colour on the eyelid. I know some people prefer primer to be undetectable but I like that it corrects the colour of my eyelids because I have quite obvious veins on them (or arteries.. I should have listened in GCSE science), and they are quite red, so I like the coverage it gives as it shows the colour of the eyeshadow more accurately. 


I pat the primer in using my ring finger, and give it around 30 seconds before applying eyeshadow. Happily it isn't sticky or tacky once dry and I feel like it gives a smoother base for my eyeshadow, which stops it sitting in lines. Without this primer I'm conscious that most eyeshadows  just don’t have the longevity for a full day at work, whereas when I pop some primer underneath it does last until 5pm-ish without too much difficulty. My eyeshadow certainly doesn't wear any worse than my foundation, which I can live with. This primer also performed remarkably well during the ridiculous heatwave in June/July, which was disastrous for the rest of my make up. Argh the memories...foundation dripping away..!



I don't doubt that there are several superior primers out there, and the Urban Decay Primer Potion is extremely popular, but at £15 for something that isn't a 'star' of your make up, it’s a pretty big purchase – although one I intend to make at some point. If you have a limited budget then i'd rather be spending more on mascara and foundation than on eye primer. MUA Pro Base Eye Primer is £2.50 from MUA or Superdrug, which is quite a bargain really.

 

I’ll be repurchasing this when it eventually runs out and if you’re on the hunt for a budget eye primer I’d definitely recommend it.

 

Which is your favourite primer? Is primer something you’re happy to spend a lot on?

 

Suzy

xx

 

NAKED: Rescue Intensive Care Haircare Review

I like the idea of SLS/silicone free haircare.  I don't demand it as I mentioned here, but as long as it actually works I'm happy to be all righteous and natural. This shampoo and conditioner are 97% natural and designed for frizzy damaged hair, which I have. 

From their description they should be ideal for my hair:
"For hair that is shouting SOS and in major need of TLC, Naked comes to the rescue! Whether your hair is looking a bit sad or is the victim of some serious abuse this combo is sure to please. Naked Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner team ‘smooth operators’ shea butter with olive oil to help work hard at tackling frizzy and split hair."

Sadly, they don't work.  At all.

 

Naked Rescue Intensive Care Shampoo

This left my hair feeling unwashed, despite washing it twice. The packaging says you'll get a better lather on your second wash, which is true, but it still doesn't clean my hair properly.  To the extent where when I'd dried my hair, parts of it still looked greasy.  Ughhhh. I'd definitely washed all of the shampoo and conditioner out too.  It just wasn't strong enough to actually clean my hair and my hair was just left coated with a weird film that felt nasty and heavy.  Heavy hair..is that a thing?!

Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner

The only thing positive thing I can muster about this conditioner is that it's so thick you don't need to use much.  So it'll last you a while. Although I'd rather it hadn't.  It left my hair really weighed down and was an absolute nightmare to wash out.

I should mention that I previously used the Naked Colour Protection Shampoo and Conditioner and they worked perfectly well.  They even made my hair shiny.  Even so I didn't repurchase because having to use so much shampoo though is no good for me as I have pretty long hair, so I was speeding through the bottle far too fast. As I wash my hair every morning (tut tut)I don't want to further damage it by washing it twice, I only expect to have to do it once.  This doesn't appear to be sufficient with any of the Naked range though and that means I won't be buying it again.

I've now discarded the shampoo to Adam, who does actually likes it.  He has a really sensitive scalp and it doesn't react with his psoriasis at all, so that's good. Even he won't touch the conditioner though. I feel like shea butter should be kept for body lotion, not hair - it just doesn't work.

I definitely won't be using it again, or repurchasing - if you have the desire to do so the shampoo and conditioner both retail at £3.99 for 250ml.

Have you tried any Naked products? Do you feel that SLS free shampoo cleans your hair properly?

Suzy
xx

#theSOproject WEEK 4: Bronzer

As a person who's so pale they're almost see-through, I just look bizarre if I try to make myself look tanned.  I never fake tan either so I'm all about looking 'pale and interesting' with a little bit of blush.
If you are similarly pale: treat bronzer with extreme caution:

My bronzing tips for a subtle look1) Don't go too dark.  It might sound obvious but anything darker than a couple of shades from your base will look ridiculous.  And muddy.  Noone likes a muddy face.2) Under no circumstances apply it all over your face.  Only put it where the sun would naturally hit - temples, cheek bones and the bridge of your nose.  Less is more.3) Use a brush that will give you plenty of control - a massive powder brush will apply way too much product.  Real Techniques' contour brush is good as it doesn't pick up too much product and it's nice and small so you can concentrate on specific areas.


Currently I only own 2 bronzers; one of which is too dark for me: Bare Minerals Warmth All-Over Face Colour. This came as part of the starter set I bought about a year ago and sadly the tone of it is too warm and it just looks like I've smeared dirt on my face.  I find it slightly alarming that this is marketed as an all over face colour..even with the lightest of touches and blending as though your lift depends on it, this would look outrageous all over the face. Just don't. This would be ok for you if you have slightly darker skin, and it's £19 from bareminerals.co.uk.The other bronzing product I have, and would recommend, is Avon Glow Bronzing Peals.  I like these because some of the pearls are more pink toned and it gives a more natural glow than full on bronze. Pearls typically last forever too, which is a bonus. These are currently reduced to £5 at avonshop.co.uk.

The other thing I've tried for contouring is using a pressed powder 2 shades darker than my skin tone, and this works brilliantly as it's more of a natural skintone.  If you're new to contouring I'd definitely recommend this rather than bronzer - MUA's pressed powder in shade 3 is a good option for this and retails at just £1.

Hopefully that helps in some way. I'm aware I've talked as though bronzer should be treated as a dangerous acid or something, but no one wants to look like a crazy orange person - a mistake I definitely made as a teenager!
Suzy
xx


x

The Autumn Tag

Jess from Lovely Jubbly Blog tagged me to do the Autumn Tag, which is definitely appropriate as it's flipping freezing this week..I've cracked out the fluffy socks and everything!

For Autumn what's your.... 

1.  Favourite thing about it? 

Getting home from work, putting the heating on, snuggling up on the sofa and knowing I don't have to go back out again cos it's cold and dark. 

2.  Favourite drink? 

Malteasers hot chocolate or Ovaltine. Mmm.

3.  Favourite scent/candle?

Vanilla candles are my all-year favourites.  I do like spiced candles for winter, but for Autumn I still stick to my vanilla.

Perfume wise I love Hugo Boss Deep Red as it's a little heavier than Daisy/Fantasy which I've been wearing for spring/summer.

4.  Best lipstick? 

I tend to stick to lipbalms in autumn because I get horribly chapped lips. This year I'll probably be whacking on the Maybelline Babylips quite a bit but I always have a trusty pot of Body Shop's Passionberry in my drawer at work.

5.  Go to moisturiser?  

I mentioned in my #thesoproject skincare post that I am yet to find my perfect moisturiser.  I'm still plodding my way through Clinique Superdefense, which is ok, but I'll be buying a new moisturiser for winter in the next month or so - any recommendations??

6.  Go to colours for the eyes? 

I only ever wear neutrals- colours feels a bit 'fancy dress' on me! Bronze, gold and taupe are my favourites. My most worn shadow in the day time is soap and glory's Lid Stuff - the champagne shade (Top right, below).

 I've been using my MUA undressed palette over the last week or so again too and I'm really liking it.  

7.  Favourite music or band/singer to listen to? 

I hardly ever listen to my own music.. is that weird?! I spend at least 2 hours commuting to work every day and I always have the radio on cos it keeps me more entertained feeling as though someone's chatting to me, so I'll be listening to whatever Radio 1 play to me!  I'm really liking 'Roar' by Katy Perry and 'Same Love' by Macklemore at the moment, but I have a short attention span for music so that'll likely change by the end of the week! 

8.  Favourite outfit to wear?

I am completely obsessed with scarves and I wear them with pretty much everything in autumn. They're so cosy and reassuring though! My favourite things to do though is to get changed into my PJs after work, so without a doubt that's my favourite outfit!

9.  Autumn treat?

Starbucks hot chocolate after a chilly shopping trip or a cheeky Dominos whilst watching X Factor!

10.  Favourite place to be?

At home, all cosy and warm while it's raining outside! I'm such a homebody in autumn/winter!

Thanks again to Jess for tagging me.  

Here are the lovely bloggers I'd like to tag

Louisa at Louisa Loves 217

Charley at Rambling of a Beauty Blogger

Anoushka at Anoushka Loves

Charlotte at Char's Insights

Steph at Steph's Inside Voice

Suzy

xx

Birchbox September 2013

This was my first ever Birchbox. I've been umming and ahhing for over a year whether it was really worth it but I had a sudden rush of blood to the head one day a couple of weeks ago and just ordered it.

It's only £10 (plus p&p) but having been an avid reader and YouTube viewer of Birchbox/Glossybox monthly reviews I know how hit and miss they can be. And frankly both companies seem to use a hefty chunk of artistic license with their approach to what can be deemed a 'high end' product.

I was unashamedly excited about my Birchbox arriving yesterday and tore into it within 2 seconds flat. In fact when our apartment buzzer went I did a little SQUEEEE because I knew what it'd be. 

This month is London Fashion Week, so Birchbox have gone with the theme 'backstage to real life', with 5 products + 1 extra.

These are the products I got in my box:

 Reverence de Bastien Nail Lacquer (£16)
I received shade No 2, which is a vibrant scarlet red shade.  I love the colour and I've had it on my nails since yesterday with no chipping so far! It's super glossy and aside from the nasty cheap plastic lid to the polish, it does feel really luxurious.  £16 seems a tad excessive for nail polish and it isn't something I'd have bought so it's really nice to get it in a beauty box!

Bioderma Sensibio H20 (£9.99)
This is only a 20ml bottle of Bioderma, which i'll probably save for when I'm next away for the weekend. I have a big bottle of Bioderma which I use from time to time, but it's never been something that's wheedled its way into everyday usage because I'm not convinced it's the most effective thing at removing eye make up.  It's ok though and it doesn't irritate my skin so I'll definitely use it.  I'd have liked a slightly bigger sample though, 20ml is a wee bit stingy!

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick (£15.50 for set of 3)
I love lip products so this was probably the product I was most excited to see in this box. It's a perfect nude pink shade and it's really moisturising - really like it so far!

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Gel (£31)
This is a gel to even out skin, tone and improve circulation.  Again at £31 for the full size there's no way I would ever have acquired this otherwise, but I will give it a good test! It smells amazing, too.

Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang Nourishing Body Lotion (£18)
I love a mooch around Molton Brown but I never end up buying anything.  I'd actually be tempted to buy this now because it smells wonderful and it soaks into my skin so quickly leaving a scent for ages. The sample is 30ml, and I think I'll save the rest for my toiletry bag.

Random Lifestyle Extra:
Green & Black's White Chocolate (£2.29)
Presumably this was there in relation to needing to keep your energy up during fashion week?  It was yummy and was gratefully consumed immediately.

What do you think of this month's box? 


Suzy
xx