January Favourites 2017 ♡

Last year I set myself the goal of writing a favourites post every month..and failed after August, this year I'm going to try again but I guess we'll see. Because of that I have a few things in this months favourites that I've been loving for longer but had to mention them anyway.

Skincare has been a huge favourite for January, I got my nose pierced and using salt water to clean it left me with a really dried out nose (lovely I know) so using the Lush Eau Roma Water and Enzymion moisturiser I managed to get my skin to settle, Eau Roma Water is described as a kind aromatherapy water. It helps to moisturise while toning, and contains rose and lavender water which are soothing and great for sensitive skin, you can mist it onto your face under and over water but I prefer to spritz it onto a cotton pad and wipe it on. 

One problem I tend to have with moisturisers is that they can be too heavy for my skin, Enzymion has been a great way to avoid this problem, it's gentle and isn't overly oily so sinks in quickly, it's quite pricey for a small pot but you only need the tiniest amount so it should last ages.

The Nip + Fab Dragon's Blood Fix Cleansing Pads have been a favourite for a couple of years now but I recently found out that they're cruelty free so have recently repurchased them, these pads are my saviours when my skin's misbehaving, I've been getting strange small bumps on my skin, like spots that won't form properly, but these help clear them up faster than any other product I've tried. Nip + Fab can be pricey but Boots and Superdrug usually have offers on for them.

Primer is something I've struggled to get on with in the past, I hate the silicone/oily feel of most of them but the Kat Von D Lock-it Featherweight Primer is silicone and oil free so feels much nicer on the skin. You don't need a lot and it creates a great base for foundation. It's hydrating as well so I do tend to use it in place of moisturiser some mornings if I'm feeling lazy.

After hearing so many good things about the Too Faced Born This Way foundation I thought I'd give it a go, it's oil free, contains coconut water and is beautiful, it sits really nicely on the skin, it lasts really well as well so I don't need to worry about it disappearing from my skin throughout a day at work which is exactly what I need in a foundation.
Nars Sin has pretty much been the only blush I've been wearing throughout January. It's a pretty berry  plum shade with a subtle gold shimmer, I apply it very lightly for a healthy looking glow, and I love the fact that it's buildable so it isn't too intense.
The Makeup Obsession highlighters are really beautiful and affordable and I've been loving the shade Moon in January, it's got a lilac tone to it but doesn't look overly intense unless you want it to be. You can put these in palettes but they also work really nicely as individual products, I'm not sure if they are cruelty free or not as the brand is so new but I'm hoping they are so I can look at more products of theirs.

I got the original Naked palette for Christmas and I'm so surprised with how much I fell in love with it, I've been unsure about this palette for years but now I have it I regret waiting so long. The colours are stunning but as I'm probably the last to the party on this one there's probably not much point going on about it...but it's definitely worth all the hype.
In January I gave in to a complete impulse buy and got the Anastasia Modern Renaissance palette. It's very pricey but I found myself loving the shades, even the ones I thought would scare me, I need to play around with it a bit more but it is beautiful and has a nice variety of colours.
I basically used the Anastasia Dusty Rose Liquid Lipstick for the whole of January, especially at work where I wanted an easy to wear, simple colour. It's a beautiful colour that is basically exactly what the name suggests but I find that the creamy formula of the Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks is one of the best formulas that I've tried.

I completely forgot to put this in the makeup photos but at the end of 2016 I gave in and bought the actual Beauty Blender sponge (instead of using other brand's alternatives) and I love it so much, it feels so much softer than the other's I've tried, it blends foundation and concealer so well and cleans better than other ones as well.
Also at the end of 2016 M.J Arlidge brought out the next book in his Helen Grace series, Hide and Seek, it's quite different to the other books in his series but it's so good! I always find that I get through these books so quickly because they're so addictive but I also struggle to pick up other books after finishing them because I just want to know what happens next but have to wait for the next books to come out, It's a real bookworm problem.
My last post was all about my Odeon Limitless subscription  and in this months favourites I have to mention my favourite films I saw in January. Passengers was definitely a favourite, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt could never disappoint and it was such a cool film, I also loved Split despite it scaring me slightly. It's such an interesting film, especially if you're into psychology and psychological thrillers. I also surprised myself and really enjoyed Star Wars Rogue One, if you're not that into Star Wars and have avoided the last few new ones I'd definitely recommend giving them a chance as I usually avoid Star Wars at all costs but liked these new ones.
It couldn't be a January favourites without mentioning the fact that I am absolutely in LOVE with Ed Sheehan's new music, I've already preordered his album on CD and vinyl and am so stupidly excited to hear the whole thing!
Also TV wise I've really been getting into watching the Big Bang Theory, I like that the episodes are quite short, I started watching it from the beginning on Netflix and now Greg's started watching it with me too.
That's it for my January favourites, it ended up being much longer than I'd planned and also a lot later too, life definitely got in the way but I'm hoping that February's won't be quite so late.
Thankyou for reading ♡ 

Limitless- A New Favourite ♡

I wanted to share something that I've been really loving lately, it's a bit different to what I usually post about on here but it's fast become one of my favourite things.
When I moved in with my boyfriend we made a decision that we'd try and have little dates when possible, it took a little while to get settled in but I already had an idea in mind for something we could do. Cinema dates are a classic, maybe not the best for a first date but three years in it's pretty fun to go and see new movies, get excited about them and talk about them after, it gets you out of the house and they are pretty good if you have busy, conflicting schedules as you can just pick a film and a time that works with you and go.
My best friend has been telling me about her cinema subscription for ages, Greg wasn't sold on the idea, but once I'd convinced him to go and see the new Bridget Jones movie with me he agreed to give the subscription a go.
Different cinemas have different subscriptions, as our local is Odeon that's the one we went for, we pay £17.99 a month each which lets us see an unlimited number of films, and also gives extra treats such a discounts on food. A regular cinema ticket is about £10-£12 depending on the time so if you go and see two films a month you've already saved money.

Before getting the subscription we would only ever go to the cinema when there was a film we both really wanted to go and see, which was about twice a year, but in the past couple of months we've been several times and have saved about £120. Even better it means we haven't had to be overly selective with the films we've seen, we go and see anything that takes our fancy as opposed to just the films we get really excited about, and if one of us isn't interested in a film it doesn't matter, meaning he got to drag me to Star Wars despite the fact I would never usually see it.
The minimum subscription is a year but you can pay the year up front and save money, you get a card with your photo on it so you can't share the subscription but one thing I did like is that you didn't have to use a typical "passport" photo, it just has to be identifiable so no cringey mugshots necessary.

I know these photos don't seem overly relevant but they are some of my favourite films that I've seen using my subscription, most of them I would never have gone to the cinema to see at full price, films like A Street Cat Named Bob my boyfriend wasn't so keen on, but enjoyed in the end after actually seeing it, likewise with me and Doctor Strange, I actually found that film really boring but because I didn't need to pay to see it I didn't mind napping in it, oops!
This post might seem sponsored but it really wasn't, I just wanted to mention how much I love this subscription and I hadn't really heard of them before my friend told me about them. I think all cinemas will have them so I'd definitely check out your local one and see as they are brilliant if you either love going to the cinema or want to go more often.

Thankyou for reading ♡ 

Autumn Wishlist-Spectrum, Coconut Lane etc ♡

Pay day is fast approaching and I've got my eye on a few things that I'm quite excited to get my hands on and I thought I'd share them on here.

First up is something that I've wanted since they first released photos of this beauty, it's the Bomb Shell Pearly Queen set from Spectrum, I had initially wanted the Glam Shell but this one is even more stunning, I have a few of the brushes in the set but they are so amazing so having duplicates definitely isn't a bad thing.

Next are a couple of the Urban Decay Naked Skin Correctors, I need to go and swatch these to choose between the pink and peach for under my eyes but I've heard really good reviews about these so I'm really intrigued to see if they make a difference to my dark circles.

This one is a little unrealistic but my boyfriends mum brought us back a smaller sized Bath and Body Works Leaves candle from the US and it smells so good I just know I'm going to need more to last me through Autumn and Winter but I can't find a good way to get hold of them in the UK, if anyone knows please tell me! I've looked at the Go Send site that some youtubers talk about but I'm not sure about it.

I actually picked this up today in town but all of my foundation sponges are past it and I haven't used the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge for so long I think they've changed it since I last bought one, they did just add more to the range and add multipacks but I'm also tempted to try the Spectrum Blending Sponge so I thought I'd get one of each and compare them.

I've used the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara before and loved it, I need a new cruelty free mascara so I think I'm going to go for this one again, one thing I've struggled with since buying cruelty free is mascara so I'm still hoping to find some  more affordable alternatives.

My phone's due an upgrade in just over a month so naturally I'm already looking up new phone cases, I love Coconut Lane cases and think I'm going to go for these two, they are the Electric Pearl Marble case and the Luxe Geometric Marble case. I already have one Coconut Lane case and love it, these are both beautiful and a good price too. I actually have a discount code for Coconut Lane if anyone fancies checking them out, just enter ditsy20 for 20% off your order (they have some amazing stuff, especially in their new in section!)

Some other things I have my eye on are the Kat Von D eye primer, foundation and concealer (is anyone else a little over excited about them being available in the UK now? if only they were in actual stores) and I also basically need an entire new wardrobe as I wear very little of mine, I've been intrigued by a lot of New Look bits so I think a trip there is needed.

Thankyou for reading ♡ 

August Favourites 2016 ♡

I was really struggling with this month's favourites post, August felt like the longest month ever and it really wasn't the easiest. I've been in a bit of a rut all round so don't have many things to talk about, it's mostly TV shows so I'll try not to harp on for too long but I have a feeling this month is going to be a bit brighter than last.

I've been really liking using two Illamasqua blushes, both separately and together, Dixie is a warm corally rosey pink cream blush that looks so beautiful and natural on the cheeks, it blends nicely and works really well underneath Tremble, Tremble is a soft pastel pink, it's a matte powder blush which I wouldn't usually go for but it looks so healthy and glowy without being garish and in your face. 

I got back into wearing Lime Crime's Teddy Bear Velvetine again this month and it reminded me just how much I love it, it's definitely quite Autumnal so has been a good transition lip colour, if you are looking into trying a Lime Crime lip product I'd definitely recommend this one.

Another liquid lipstick type product that I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before is the Tanya Burr lip cream in Martha Moo, it's a really easy day time lip colour perfect for work, mine seems more peachy pink on my lips compared to what I was expecting but it is a really easy colour and formula to wear.

L-R- Tremble, Dixie, both layered, Teddy Bear & Martha Moo

I mentioned in my last favourites post that I read and loved the very popular book Me Before You and in August I read the sequel, After You and it was just as incredible. Without giving either book (or the film) away, After You follows Louisa Clarke into the next chapter of her life and honestly I would love to read even more of these books if Jojo Moyes ever brings out more, Lousia is such a funny, relatable character and I can't wait to watch the film of Me Before You as soon as I can (I'm also hoping for a film of After You)

I've watched Casualty for as long as I can remember and August marked the shows 30th anniversary and they celebrated it so well I had to mention it in this post, the special anniversary episode is still on iplayer at the moment and I'd definitely recommend you check it out whether you usually watch the show or not. The acting was amazing and the whole episode was shot really well, I also really liked that they included old characters from the show, it was such a good trip down memory lane, not to mention some of my old favourites were in there. I loved every minute of it and am kind of hoping they'll do another special episode soon.

From an old favourite show to a new one, I really got into Crazy Ex Girlfriend on netflix after hearing Gemma from hellogemma talking about it on her snapchat, I gave it a go and during the parts of the month when I was feeling down the most it really helped to lift my spirits, it's a comedy that contains musical moments that I love so much, I love musicals and the songs in this are hilarious, it's just a really easy to watch show that really cheered me up so I had to mention it.

Gotham season 2 finally came out on netflix and myself and Greg both loved it, in all honesty I got a little tired of the second half of the first season so was a little sceptical but I loved every single episode of this season, I love the way they've developed the characters and the storyline and my only complaint is that they wait so long to put it on netflix, season 3 comes out next month but I think we're going to have to wait a year to watch it which is so annoying! That aside I really love the show, I'm not overly into superheroes but Batman is definitely my favourite and I love the concept of Gotham, it's so gritty and tells the origins stories of so many characters, I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you like comics or not.

I do have more shows to mention but I don't want this post to be all TV shows so I'm going to mention one last one and then the other two can wait until next month, but I can't not mention Pretty Little Liars. Again I loved every episode from this season and am gutted that there are only ten episodes left ever, I am of course excited to see how it all ends and how they wrap it up but it will be so sad to see it end. I've really enjoyed the whole 5 years later concept and seeing them all after the events of the earlier seasons and how it's affected their lives, of course this season contained just the right amount of twists and turns and if you haven't watched this show yet then what have you been doing?! I'm pretty sure it's something I'll re-watch over and over for years to come, just to get my head around everything that's happened in the crazy six years that the show has been on.

That's all for my August favourites, I'm sorry that it was mostly me rambling about TV shows but I'm pretty sure my next favourites post will be more makeup based, I hope you enjoyed anyway and maybe found a new show to watch.
Thankyou so much for reading ♡

A Little Nook- Bookcase Decor ♡

I've mentioned it a lot on here that I've just moved away from home, we're not quite there on the decorating yet but I have put together what is probably my favourite part of the flat. 

Before we moved in we decided on a few bits of new furniture we were going to buy so that we weren't overwhelmed with flatpack and this Ikea Billy bookcase was one of the items at the top of my list.  I haven't photographed the whole bookcase because I wanted to focus on one shelf in particular but I found that the case is the perfect height and width and you can put the shelves in where you like. There are six shelves in total, we have books on most of them, one smaller shelf which you can see in the top of the photo which has CD's and Xbox games on it and then this "feature" shelf which I am in love with!

The three lights are from Primark, they are £10 each and take AA batteries, we both love the look of these lights and we got them recently so they should all be in stock, the only one I can't see on the website is the Flamingo but they might have it in stores. 

They really brighten the shelves up, and I love that the Pineapple is a metallic rose gold shade and not a bold colour, I feel like it balances the colours, the lights on this one are little diamond shapes too which is nice. The lights aren't really that bright so I don't use them as light sources but they brighten up a room regardless.

To add some levels to the shelf I stacked a few books together, I chose these ones partly because they wouldn't fit on other shelves, but also because they stacked really well with their differing sizes, and they are all beautiful books. Pretty Honest and Face Paint are books I like to pick through, reading bits at a time so having them on a shelf like this is ideal, if you're a beauty lover you need to give them a look, they are amazing! 

The last item, and another Primark bargain, is this candle, it reminds me of the Oliver Bonas one and the others that have been popular lately and even though this one is probably smaller I think it's actually prettier.  After writing this post I actually went back to pick up another one in a different scent and colour, as far as I'm aware they only have two of these but I would definitely love to have more, they are so cute and smell amazing!

The rose gold one I originally picked up is Kiwi and Lemonade scented and the silver one is actually pineapple scented but it has a slightly smokier deeper edge to it too which is really nice, I haven't burnt them yet so can't tell you how they smell once lit or how long they'll last but I think they'd make really cute little storage tins once they're burnt through, they are only £3.50 too so definitely worth a look, Primark have so many really nice candles so I'll definitely be going back soon for more.

I wasn't really sure how to go about doing this post so I'm hoping that it's worked okay, I'm hoping to get the rest of the flat sorted properly before the end of the year so I might try and get more of these posts up.

Thankyou for reading ♡

July Favourites 2016 ♡

July has been such a long month, I moved down to Southampton a few weeks ago and have been finding my feet since, I have a few ideas for home decor posts so I'll be working on those but for now, it's July favourites time.

I tried the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation (CF) this month and despite being underwhelmed at first (I have a bad habit of expecting perfection from foundations and concealers) I have grown to love it, it's buildable so that you can get the coverage you want. I find that when I use this foundation my skin looks fresh but not cakey, it looks lovely and I'm really tempted to try the Naked Skin concealer now as well. 

In my last post I reviewed the Sleek Solstice Highlight palette (CF?) and I love it,  particularly the shades Equinox and Hemisphere, they both look stunning on the cheek bones, and Equinox looks amazing on other highlight areas too, they are nicely pigmented so you don't need a lot, they definitely pack a punch and I actually haven't used my beloved champagne pop since I've had this palette, and to make it even better it's really affordable.

I just realised that I actually mentioned the Lime Crime Venus palette (CF) in my June favourites..oops..but I guess it shows I really like it? For the first week or so after I moved I just used whatever palette I could grab but wasn't really happy with any of the makeup looks, so I went back to using this and my eyelids are now happy again, I love the looks you can put together with this palette and am planning a review of it soon.

I've been liking this NYX Matte Liquid Liner (CF) despite usually struggling with this type of applicator, this one is more sturdy than others I've tried, it stays put all day and is really affordable.

Another two liquid lipstick favourites this month, I'm kind of obsessed with them and lately it's been these two in particular. Tanya Burr released her new soft luxe line recently and this Martha Moo Matte Lip (CF?)  really stood out to me, the colour is really pretty and the formula is creamy and lasts really well, I hope she brings more shades out in this line because I'd love to try more. 

For a darker shade I've been really liking the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita (CF), I've been wanting this shade for so long and finally bought it on depop, they are releasing Kat Von D products in Debenhams soon so I'm so excited for that! I don't really know what else there is to say about liquid lipsticks, I always seem to repeat myself but this one is definitely one to look out for when it comes to the UK.

top to bottom- NYX liner, Lolita, Martha Moo-sleek equinox on right
venus palette-muse venus &aura,sleek ecliptic& hemisphere 

While I was packing to move I got into watching Cuckoo on netflix and iPlayer, it's another BBC British comedy which I've really been getting into lately, I love Greg Davies and Tyger Drew Honey but to be honest I got to love all of the actors, if you're looking for something new to watch I'd definitely give it a go. 

Once I moved we didn't have any internet for a couple of weeks so I bought a few seasons of CSI quite cheap and have been addicted, I've loved watching the show since I was younger and really want to watch the New York ones too, is is bad that the whole murder/CSI thing really interests me? I think if I were to train to do anything it would be to be a crime scene detective..or a makeup artist, possibly weird..

I've had Me Before You for at least a year but never got a chance to read it, then I heard all the hype when the film came out so gave it a a go and I'd definitely recommend you read it if you haven't. I still need to see the film but the book was so beautifully mundane and frustrating..in a good way, I fell for the characters and after seeing which actors are playing them I'm now so excited to see the film, even though I'm secretly hoping the ending changes in the film. 

I forgot to take a picture of it but while we had no internet I really got into playing Rise of the Tomb Raider, I've never really been a games console person but this game was really fun, I've played Tomb Raider in the past but this game is so much better than the older ones, I'm so excited for the next one to come out, I am playing the game that came before this one and it's not as addictive but it's nice to do something that isn't on the internet.

So that's it for my July favourites, it's been a pretty crazy month and I'm still getting settled in in the new flat, hopefully soon I'll have a new job..mostly because there are a few releases coming up that I really want..but I'm also bored out of my mind.

Thankyou for reading ♡

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette Review & Swatches ♡

Everyone loves a good highlighter but they can get quite expensive, I think I may have found the perfect affordable option and as a bonus, it's a palette of four different, stunning highlight shades.

The Sleek Solstice Highlight Palette is a gorgeous gold palette with a magnetic closure and retailing for only £9.99 Sleek have really tapped into what every makeup lover seems to be looking for, and that's not even getting onto the highlighters. It does contain a brush but like most brushes that come with palettes it's not the best quality.

The Solstice palette contains four highlighters, three of them are powder and one cream but the formula for all of them is really nice.

Ecliptic- a really pretty champagne colour, the one cream of the group and is really smooth and easy to blend, this works really well as an brow bone highlight, and you can use Equinox or a similar eyeshadow to set it if you need to

Hemisphere- a lilac pink with a silver tone to it, I was really unsure about this shade but it manages to be wearable without losing it's colour, this is lovely on the cheekbones and the cupids bow

Subsolar- a golden yellow which is another I was unsure about, probably the one I reach for the least but it does look nice with the right look, I do light this down the nose to add some depth to the face

Equinox- a coppery gold colour that is stunning! this over Ecliptic is incredible and I think this might be my favourite shade in the palette, I love this on any highlight areas, it's great all round, I've also been using it on the inner corner of my eyes a lot too

sunlight swatches-L-R Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Subsolar & Equinox

I took the swatch photos both with and without flash to show the shades properly, and all of the swatches are just one layer to show how pigmented they are, you really don't need a lot of product with these! 

flash swatches-L-R-Ecliptic, Hemisphere, Sebsolar & Equinox

I use the Real Techniques setting brush (CF) to highlight, and a Spectrum A13 smudge brush (CF) to apply the cream shade to the brow bone, I can imagine these would also work well applied with your fingers if that's how you prefer to highlight, the only thing I would change about this palette is the brush, it would be better if it was softer but also would have worked well without the brush with larger pans of highlight instead. 

All in all I really would recommend you check this palette out, I was unsure myself to begin with but it was love at first swatch when I saw it in Superdrug, at £9.99 this palette is not one to miss, the packaging is lovely, the highlighters are incredible and I even love the names, such a cute touch.

This palette is available in Boots, Superdrug and Feel Unique. Sleek also has a highlight palette called Precious Metals which I'm now really tempted to get knowing how amazing this one is! 

I mentioned in my last post that I'm starting to note in my posts which products are Cruelty Free by putting (CF) next to it, I'm not 100% sure whether Sleek is cruelty free but I think they are.

Thankyou for reading ♡