The wanderer returns..

Hey guys!

I have not posted in so long because I had university exams and was doing so many extra shifts at work. Not gonna lie, all that stress kind of left me with a mind blank and 0 motivation!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and I am going to start my New Year off with a little motivational post to try and get me to kick my bad habits.

MY BAD HABITS

• SMOKING. This one is my absolute worst, and I have said for so long I am going to stop. I did actually manage for a month or so whilst taking Champix, but they left me in such a terrible mood that I stopped the pills and unfortunately started smoking again.
• Leaving things till the last minute. I always leave essays, exam revision, reading, etc till the NIGHT BEFORE. It is SO BAD and i always feel so stressed about it, but for some reason I am one of those people that just puts it off and puts it off. This year I am aiming to change that!
• Doing things that make me miserable. I spent two years with two jobs, no free time, and no social life. This year, I am going to work less and spend less. I would rather be skint and happy than well off and miserable. I literally had so much money and no time to spend it..whats the point?

GOALS FOR 2015

• Keep up to date with everything at uni, and PASS.
• Look after myself. Sleep well, eat well, take time off to actually relax.

What are you all aiming to change this year?

B

xx

The Shock of the Fall

I have read this book over and over and I am still not sick of it. Nathan Filer one last years Costa award for the book of the year with his book The Shock of the Fall and I can completely understand why. It is not often that I actually get to read a book purely for my own enjoyment anymore – as at university I get assigned two books a week to read, and usually they are not the type of book I would choose to read or enjoy.

Nathan Filer is a registered mental health nurse, and this book is his first novel. The book is an insight into the troubled mind of Matthew, and how he deals with grief, loss, and mental illness. I do not want to say too much about the book incase I ruin it for anyone, but honestly, this book is absolutely amazing and it has definitely gave me so much enjoyment reading it.

Nathan Filer did an incredible job with The Shock of the Fall and I just hope that there is more to read from him soon.

xo

MAC Review

Hello!

I’m sorry I have not written a lot lately, I have been a bit busy and also went to see Ed Sheeran so was away for a few days! This month I have taken quite a few trips to the MAC store, and thought I would write a blog post entirely dedicated to MAC products, as I have now tried quite a few products!

Below I am going to tell you about my favourite products from MAC, what they claim to do and what I think of them.

MAC Pigments are great, and I have bought the Vanilla and Fuchsia. They are both absolutely amazing and very very highly pigmented, but my favourite for everyday wear is definitely the Vanilla. It gives a nice highlight to your brow bone, and a gorgeous shimmery finish. It feels very Christmassy and sparkly – without looking too overdone. Typically, I am out the house from about 6am – 6pm and when I get home the pigment is still in place and has not budged, which personally I think is great! I have been using my Vanilla pigment for a few months now, every single day, and not even a quarter of the pot has been used! They are available here and cost £17.00. 

Another one of my favourite products from MAC is the Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage, which I actually only bought last week after one of the girls in the shop recommended it. I used to use Smashbox Photo Finish primer, and found that it just did not do that great a job. I have been using this one all week, and have noticed a complete difference already. My skin feels so much better, and my make up does not budge. I absolutely love the feeling of it, and it is not too creamy but just sinks in to the skin. This was £21 so it is cheaper than the Smashbox and in my opinion, much better!

My favourite loose powder by MAC is also from the Prep + Prime range, and I absolutely love it. It makes my skin feel so silky smooth and is not too matte, so I still keep the dewy look without looking oily. It is great, makes my make up look finished but also does not make me look powdery. For anyone looking for a natural looking powder that also does its job, this would definitely be the one to try.

The last product I have been LOVING from MAC recently is the Prep + Prime Fix+ which is great, I love the smell, the feel, and the fact that it keeps my make up on for so long is great. No longer do I catch a glimpse of my face in the mirror and panic!!

Most of the products that I have been loving recently are from the Prep + Prime range, and with the new packaging being shiny, it also feels quite luxurious. I personally love it, and I have just noticed that all of the Christmas items are out now, so another trip is definitely needed!

Thank you!

XOXO

Things I forgot I bought..

Hello!

I always do this thing where I go on little shopping sprees, or go through times that I literally just can not stop shopping, and then completely forget I bought it. I then find them a few months later and have no idea why I bought it at all. I was cleaning out my wardrobe today and thought I would show you guys a few things that I found that I completely forgot I had bought. This way *hopefully* I can remember it is there, therefore I will have to wear it!

The first thing I found was this handbag, which I actually do really like. I have no idea why I have not used it, but it is pretty small and for me personally I have to carry a lot of books to take to uni, so maybe it is just not practical. I might give it a shot one day this week :)! I think I picked this up in Debenhams…maybe..?

I cannot actually remember buying this top at all. It is from New Look, and is bright pink..hm. I just do not know what I make of it yet!

This next top from Primark I think I bought last year..I do like the actual top, but it has a strange gap on the back which I do not really find flattering at all!

I also found this random black flowery top which is very BRIGHT. I am the sort of person that never steps out of her comfort zone when it comes to clothes, and bright colours are just one thing that I can never seem to really get the hang of. I think personally I have quite a strange petite figure and nothing really looks the same on me as it does on the 6 foot model that I liked it on.

It took me quite a while to sort through most of my things and I am going to tackle my other wardrobe tomorrow, but this one is now done (Although it does still look pretty messy – I assure you it is MUCH better than it was before)

It also has my shoes and handbags at the bottom! 🙂

It literally took me all day to do this wardrobe alone – so it looks like I am gonna have a busy day tomorrow with still the other one to do! 😦

Does anyone have any organisation tips?! Pass them to me if you do!

xo

Mini haul :)

Hey guys!

I had soooo much university work to do this week, so when I was finally finished yesterday and handed all my essays in – it was the perfect excuse to treat myself with some retail therapy!

I managed to refrain myself a little bit – I actually did quite well for me I think. Here is what I managed to buy 🙂

Lush Bath Bombs – of course after a long stressful week I needed these! I got sakura, 2 candy mountains (one of them I used part of last night!), so white, a dragons egg, and a lush pud 🙂 I absolutely love all of these – but my favourite is candy mountain right now (it’s pretty much everyones favourite – but it is amazing)

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish + Skin Tonic Duo – I saw this set in Boots as they have recently started stocking Liz Earle, I think this is a Christmas set but I have never tried the toner and I was wanting to try it anyway – so I am looking forward to trying this!

Loreal Lipstick ‘Blake’s Pure Red’ – I actually got this to use for halloween. It was on a 3 for 2 offer so I got this to use as I needed quite a bright red! Love the packaging though!

Loreal BB Powder – This looked quite nice, and I am trying out new powders right now in attempt to find one that does not look too cakey on my skin! I will give this a shot and maybe review it 🙂

Thank you guys for reading and hope you all have a great weekend!

p.s. I did also buy slippers. Which in the featured image is currently on my dogs head 🙂

xo

One Lovely Blog Nomination!

I would like to thank JoAnna from Thrifting & Bitching for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog nomination, I am sorry it took me so long to do it as I have been swamped with uni work recently! Thrifting & Bitching is a lovely blog ran by three lovely friends called Ariel, Cassie, and JoAnna – it is definitely worth a read!

The Rules

1. You must thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.

2. You must list the rules and display the award.

3. You must add 7 facts about yourself.

4. You must nominate 15 other bloggers and comment on one of their posts to let them know they have been nominated

5. You must display the award logo and follow the blogger who nominated you.

My Seven Facts:

1. I am a 23 year old English student, so that means that I have to spend most of my time reading, reading, and more reading. I do enjoy it though 🙂

2. I always have a hot water bottle. Always! Even in the summer. It’s actually very sad.

3. I actually studied beauty therapy before I switched and randomly decided to try out university.

4. I love Yankee Candles. Christmas Cookie is my current favourite as I also love Christmas!

5. I have anywhere between 5 – 20 cups of coffee a day…oops

6. Recently I discovered lots and lots of clothes that I had bought a while ago and forgot that I had bought. Still with tags on..oops.

7. I buy all different types of clothes, and then do not wear them because I do not think they suit me.

Here are the 15 people I nominate:

• Thepinkimpact
• amyeloise97
• beckinablog
• pluanna
• sarahlovesmakeup
• theworldofcos
• pinkatyou
• beautyandmi
• poemsandpeople
• Amy Lee
• The Invisible Girls Blog
• latasia24
• tiffanycullern
• livingdisrobed
• beverbeee

All of the blogs that I have linked above are blogs that I personally love reading, and are definitely worth a read 🙂 enjoy! xo

Hot Cloth Cleansers – which one to buy?

Hello!

I have been trying out three different types of hot cloth cleanser. I have tried the soap and glory “ultimelt’ hot cloth cleanser, the superdrug own brand, and of course the mighty Liz Earle.

I wanted to see if the high street brands compared to the Liz Earle and if they were a better, cheaper option.

Soap and Glory Ultimelt Price £10.00 for 100ml

I really did like this cleanser. It has a traditional cleanser smell which leaves your skin smelling great. It takes your make up off very well, and leaves your skin feeling fresh and clean. I would suggest this cleanser especially for oily skin types. It is great and quite a good price also. I used this for 2 weeks and noticed that it was really good when I was experiencing a few break outs, it cleared them up within a few days.

Superdrugs own brand Cleanser £2.99 (on offer at the moment) for 150ml

This price is absolutely amazing. Compared to the £14.99 for Liz Earle, this really is a bargain buy. 150ml is quite a large size and you only need a small amount. I tested this one for two weeks also, and this one is great for all skin types. It made my face look radiant and clean, and my skin did look amazing after just a few weeks. I would suggest this cleanser for anyone on a budget and it is the best cheap option. It does not have a smell which is the only down side I have found to it!

And last but not least..
Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser £19.95 for 200ml

This one is my ultimate favourite. It is amazing for all skin types, smells amazing, and takes EVERY single bit of your make up off. I really do think it is worth the higher price tag, as everything about it is luxurious, the packaging, the smell, and even the muslin cloths are much better quality than the others.

Overall, I found all of these cleansers to be great, but of course the Liz Earle is my favourite. I will continue to use the Soap and Glory one when I do have breakouts, as I personally think it is the best for breakouts and oily skin. The superdrug one is the biggest bargain of them all though, and I will definitely be buying this towards the end of the month when I am tight for money!

Thank you!
Becky
Xo

Day of Studying!

I have two essays to write this week, and find myself getting very stressed and achieving nothing because I am stressed!

I have a system that works for me whilst studying – and that system for me is to use a different scent of candle for each different class I am studying for. It works, it also relaxes me, and is a great excuse to purchase some new candles!

Today I went and got these candles!

I got one medium sized ‘Christmas Cookie’ Jar which is absolutely AMAZING but very sweet so if you do not like sweet candles I do not think this would be for you!

I also got a box of the candy cane lane which are nice and festive, smelling of candy canes and ginger I would say!

My personal favourite is the ‘Fireside Treats’ and I am sure that you will all understand me when I say, I smelt these candles and it instantly reminded me of the MAC shop. They smell JUST like MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ and just generally a bit like the MAC store – so it brings a bit of heaven to my house! haha

xo

My Eyelash/Mascara Problems!

Hello!

Basically, I have tried every single type of mascara available. Right now I am using Too Faced ‘Better Than Sex’ Mascara and I am loving it. The problem is – it is starting to dry up and I can not seem to find it anywhere. For some reason – most mascaras make my eyelashes look clumpy and like spiders legs.

My old make up tutor told me that I have double layered lashes – I have no idea if I do or not as I have never been to any other beauty specialist to see if this is true or not. But for some reason I am having a nightmare finding a mascara that makes them look nice, and I need your advice!

What can I do to fix these lashes!? Help please!

Can anyone recommend what I can do to make them look less clumpy?

Or any good mascaras?

Or if I do indeed have double lashes?

Thank you!

xo

Sunday night de-stressing

Hello!

I work in a pub at weekends, so I work very late and it really takes it’s toll on my body clock right now. I feel completely drained every Sunday and I can not really afford to spend a whole day relaxing when it is my deadline week for university this week!

I done quite a lot of work today towards it, and I am going to have a nice pamper night tonight so that I can feel a bit more alive tomorrow.

First of all I am going to take my make up off and run a bath, using the lush “candy mountain” bubble bar and also a “so white” bath bomb. I am then going to make a cup of tea and take it to the bath with me 🙂

I am going to use the liz earle cleanser, the soap and glory “scrub your nose in it” exfoliator, and the soap and glory face mask.

I am then going to light my candles, settle down and relax with a movie and some chocolate! I do not know what film to watch yet, is there any recommendations?!

What do you do to relax and de stress?

Thank you 🙂