My Simple Winter Skincare

It's safe to say that when it comes to skincare, my routine is extremely lacklustre. I've never had an in depth routine full of dozens of products because in all honesty, I don't feel like my skin needs it. When I was younger I experimented with facial scrubs and moisturisers and just found that if anything they made my skin worse and left me with more breakouts than when I started. That's when I decided to keep it extremely simple and that's what works for me. It also saves me spending an arm and a leg on products that I might not necessarily like. As I get older I would like to experiment and invest in some more skincare but for now this is what I used on a regular basis and what works wonders for my skin.

NARS One Shocking Moment Palette | Review

Far be it for me to try and resist a blush palette, especially one from NARS that features four blushers, Laguna bronzer and two contour shades. This latest offering from NARS comes from their Steven Klein collection, a collaboration with the famous photographer that has resulted in a range of beautiful and playful products. The design of these products is a massive selling point to me, the One Shocking Moment is no exception, incorporating incredibly quirky fashion photography on the front, think high end avant garde fashion. It makes a fantastic addition to any dressing table! And as if the outside wasn't enough, the inside is even more spectacular.

Christmas Gift Guides

Christmas shopping can be really difficult if you don't know where to start. Me and my sister are so similar that I could spend hundreds picking bits up for her because they're normally bits I like too, but I find it particularly difficult to shop for the men in my family. It's always made even harder by just getting a "don't know" when you ask what they want. (JUST TELL ME SOMETHING!). It's the same for me too, as I've got older I find it a lot harder to make a list of things that I want without handing over a massive list of lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes and blushers. Gone are the days of sitting with an Argos catalogue and cutting out the pictures of all the toys I wanted to send off to Santa. With a month or so left until the big day I thought I'd throw together a few ideas for those of you who may be struggling, with a little something for everyone, from the beauty obsessives to the gadget lovers and a price to suit everyone's budget. Here are a few of my picks for Christmas presents this year! (I have a feeling this might be a long post, brace yourselves.)

Blogs I'm Loving

One of my favourite parts of blogging is connecting with other people who share the same passion for writing as I do and though I'd been reading blogs long before I started my own, I didn't realise just how amazing and supportive this community was. I've spoken to so many amazing people in the short amount of time that I've had this little corner of the internet and I love how everyone is so willing to share the love, whether that be by commenting on a post, following on social media or leaving a message on Twitter to tell someone you enjoy their blog. I've never met such encouraging and supportive people, so I thought it was my time to share the love by telling you about a few of the blogs I've been loving recently. 

Go Customized Phone Case | Review*

Being an Android user, it can be really difficult to find phone cases that I like. Sure, there's cases for most phones out there if you look hard enough but you can end up paying an arm and a leg or the case itself is just plain boring or awful. I've lost count of the amount of times I've stared longingly at the cases on places like Skinnydip London and wished they made cases for a wider range of phones. So when I was contacted by GoCustomized, a company of Dutch origin, and asked if I would like to collaborate with them on a post, I couldn't say no! Especially after seeing that they have a huge range of cases for pretty much every make and model you could imagine. On their website they have a massive range of personalised phone cases and other gadget accessories to choose from, so you're bound to find something to suit your needs.

Thank You NARS

Everything I've tried from NARS, I've loved. Their Deepthroat blush is in my all time favourites and my most recent purchase from them, the One Shocking Moment palette, is an absolute dream. They're one of those brands that although on the pricey side of things, always nail it with their products and make me feel like I'm really getting something luxurious and quality. So I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when a message popped up in my Instagram recently from NARS, asking for my details so they could send me a thank you gift for being a loyal #NARSISSIST. I had to double check and then check again that it wasn't some sort of hoax or joke and had really come from their official account before I scrambled to send along my details. I even checked again in the morning that it hadn't been some sort of dream. 

Let's Talk Eyeshadow Palettes

It's only within the last month or so that I've really gotten into wearing eyeshadow on a regular basis, despite having a couple of really beautiful palettes at my disposal. I guess it was a combination of the time it takes in the morning coupled with the worry of looking like I've been punched in the eye that stopped me delving further into the world of crease colours, blending and smoky eyes. I can't wait to start expanding my collection and really jumping into and experimenting with loads of different colours and styles. But for now, here's a look at the three eyeshadow palettes that I've kept stored away in my drawers until recently as well as a few of my favourite shades from each.

My Top 5 Brushes

Despite using and owning a multitude of different brushes, I actually found it very easy to pick just five brushes that I couldn't live without. Firstly I can completely go without eye brushes. I don't really wear eyeshadow on a day to day basis anyway and I've found that hands can be your greatest tools. Though if I were to pick one it would be some sort of fluffy blending brush, Zoeva have some wonderful ones. Anyway, these are the brushes that I always return to and most have some sort of multipurpose aspect to them.

Night In Essentials

As much as I love going out with my closest and friends and getting absolutely "mortal", (though I really can't hack the hangovers anymore), there's nothing I love more than spending a relaxing night in with my favourite films, foods and pampering supplies. I will admit that this post was entirely influenced by the above bath bomb as it's one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. Seriously, I felt like I was bathing in something out of Star Trek, live long and prosper and all that.

What To Watch This Autumn

Anyone who knows me knows that I could spend hours in front my TV or computer watching endless boxsets. I just much prefer getting really into a good TV series rather than films and they provide the perfect distraction from university work (which I should probably be doing right now). My taste varies massively from the girly classics such as 90210, One Tree Hill, Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl to the grittier Dexter, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad (all of which I have watched from start to finish, some numerous times). I will watch pretty much anything and once I've started I have to finish, no matter how dire it seems to get, though I tend to enjoy gritter, creepier shows with serial killers and murder (what does this say about me?) As the nights are drawing in and my workload gets higher, I thought I'd share with you some of my recent favourites that I've been watching or am looking forward to getting stuck in to. So light a candle, grab a blanket (Primark have some amazing faux fur ones in at the moment) and stick your TV on.