US Beauty Haul | First Impressions

Y'all know that the first thing on my mind when I landed in Florida in December was "oh my days imagine all the things I can buy in Sephora and Ulta" swiftly followed by the idea pancakes and maple bacon.  The black and white stripes were calling my name. Unfortunately due to a poor exchange rate, it actually didn't work out much cheaper to buy certain products abroad like it has in previous years so I tried to stick to things we can't necessarily get over here, haven't been released yet or are a little harder to access. This post will be a quick run down of everything with a few initial impressions, the real juicy stuff will come in the reviews to follow over the next few weeks. Ooooh the anticipation.

Cape Coral, Florida | Photo Diary

I just want to start this post by saying that I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and a Happy New Year! I was lucky enough to celebrate my Christmas by jetting over to Florida for the most glorious two weeks. We flew out on the 16th and it was fourteen wonderful days of 28 degree temperatures, relaxing by the pool, exploring, boating, dolphin spotting and completely indulging in an amazing array of food. (I tried the American classic of biscuits and gravy and was pleasantly surprised at just how tasty it was, the gravy especially). I'm going to use this post to share my photos from the trip with you, as well as a few snippets about what we did, saw and ate etc but mostly, be prepared for pictures upon pictures. Oh and stay on the lookout for a US beauty haul and loads of reviews coming over the next few weeks, I picked up some proper goodies.

Latest Beauty Favourites

It's been a while since I've shared a few of the products I've been loving recently, in fact, I can't even remember if I ever had done a monthly favourites post. So here you go! I've been making it my mission recently to not only try some new bits and pieces but to also start looking into my stash and using things that have been a little bit unloved for a while. You'd be surprised at just how much neglected makeup I have, especially things like bronzer, blush and eyeshadow that take a lot longer to use up compared to foundations and mascaras.

The Festive Makeup Menu

I just love makeup at this time of year, the colours, sparkles, reds, deep berries and dark smoky eyes. Everything screams Winter and festive, I mean, just looking at this picture I get some serious party vibes. Throughout the year generally my base remains pretty consistent. Primer, foundation, concealer and powder all stay very similar month in, month out, even in the Summer months I tend to opt for a medium buildable coverage with serious staying power. But my eyes, lips and cheeks are a completely different story. I've pulled together a few of my picks for this season that are sure to glam up any Winter/Christmas Party look.

December Beauty Haul

Tis officially the season to treat yo' self and after trying somewhat successfully to be good and save money, I caved when Black Friday hit. There's only so many emails, offers and discounts that a girl can resist. But you know what the best part is? None of these things were actually bought in the sales.

My First Christmas in Manchester

A couple of months ago I took the big step of finally moving out of my parents house and into rented accommodation. (Bonus points if you recognise the Jack Whitehall reference there). And though I will be spending actual Christmas Day and the various other days surrounding it with my family and loved ones, this will be my first ever festive season living entirely away from home, not just at university. And with this comes changes, new experiences, new purchases and of course new wish lists. So as part of the Debenhams Win Your Wishlist Competition, I thought I'd share a few of the things I will be doing this year and a few things on my wishlist to make my new apartment a home away from home.

Bat Those Lashes!*

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you'll be more than aware of my love for false lashes, not just on nights out but for day to day life as well. To cut a long story short, I went through a phase of picking off my mascara, unfortunately ruining my natural lashes in the process. Fast forward a few months and here I am, a 22 year old with a serious lash addiction.

My Night Out Essentials

I'm a sucker for a night out. There, I said it. As much as I love a good night in complete with takeaway curry and a good film or two, as soon as I get that "you coming out?" text, I'm straight in the shower and throwing back a rum and coke. Whether it's a case of FOMO or just being a weak ass bitch, I just can't resist getting dolled up, having a good old dance and doing one two many shots of vodka. And since moving from my tiny little hometown with one nightclub to Manchester, I've loved going out and trying out all the different clubs and bars, as well as really switching up my look. It's almost as if I have an alter ego some nights. Seriously, last weekend I was 26 year old Isla from London who'd been married for 6 years. Don't ask. So why not share with you some of my recent night out essentials...