Event - Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation Masterclass

Last week in my excitement to get my chubby little hands on Ms. Tilbury's new magic foundation I decided to book myself onto the masterclass to showcase the foundation and it's launch in stores. I paid £35 in advance which was redeemable on the day!

When I arrived at the Charlotte Tilbury counter in Selfridges at the Trafford Centre, Manchester I was greeted warmly and offered a glass of bubbly and nibbles (a very nice touch!) whilst  we waited to get started. The masterclass began with myself and several other attendees observing the head makeup artist applying the new magic foundation. She began by removing the models makeup with multi miracle glow cleanser and then applied Charlottes Magic Cream (definitely on my shopping list) before enhancing the models natural glow with the amazing wonder glow cream which I have and absolutley love, it manages to prime the skin to perfection whilst producing radiance rather than greasiness. Finally, she colour matched the model, selecting the perfect shade with ease thanks to the wealth of shades on offer and applied this beautifully using the magic complexion brush (NEED!) 

Whilst applying the foundation the makeup artist explained exactly why this foundation is truly magical. She told us that the foundation had been 5 years in the making and was envisioned by Charlotte herself as an answer to all of her full coverage foundation problems (i.e. too thick, too greasy, enlarges pores, too cakey). One of the ingredients which makes this foundation so special is the inclusion of laricyl, an extract taken from mushrooms which helps to the firm the skin and tighten pores.

Once we had watched the masterclass we were then given our own makeup artist who then colour matched us to the perfect shade of magic foundation (I am wearing shade 2) and did our makeup to match one of charlottes signature looks. After an awful lot of umming and ahhing, and some very helpful advice from the makeup artist I went for something a little different for me and chose the 'Uptown girl look'. 

My makeover 

The Uptown Girl 

Before and After 

Once this look was applied, it obviously put me into an easily persuaded state of mind so I ended up purchasing the lot (shh! Don't tell mum!) and the magic foundation too! 

To buy The Uptown Girl look was £165 and for this price you get:

• LUXURY PALETTE - The Uptown Girl (Eyeshadow)

• THE CLASSIC - Audrey (Eye Liner)

• FULL FAT LASHES – Glossy Black (Mascara)

• CHEEK TO CHIC – Love Glow (Blusher)

• LIP CHEAT – Pink Venus (Lip Liner)

• K.I.S.S.I.N.G – Bitch Perfect (Lipstick)

• LIP LUSTRE – Sweet Stiletto (Lip Gloss)

• COMPLIMENTARY MAKE-UP BAG

If you were thinking about trying any of the Charlotte Tilbury products I really couldn't recommend them enough! Also if you live in Manchester, shop at the Trafford Centre Charlotte Tilbury stand in Selfridges, you'll be greeted warmly and treated like a queen! 

What have you tried from Charlotte Tilbury that I haven't and need to? Let me know!

xo

August Highlights

Pinch punch first of the month! How on earth are we already at septemeber the 1st? 

Recently I have been trying to make sure that I take time out to recognise the good times rather than the bad times, so as August is over I thought I would share with you some of the previous months highlights.

8th August - Wedding number 1

Celebrating with my cousins

Confetti!

August 14th - 15th Wedding Number 2

Olive's thoughts on the six hours we spent stuck in traffic...

My mum's handiwork decorating the venue for the wedding

17th - 22nd August - Holidays in Norfolk 

Beautiful Blakeney

Feasting on afternoon tea at Follies Tearoom

Dungaree Day - Topshop FYI, Top from Joules

xxx

A Heads Up - The Body Shop Oils of Life

Yes, I know, It's been a while....Apologies!

As my love for skincare continues to grow (and keep havoc on my bank balance) thanks to a certain lady (if you don't read Caroline Hirons' blog what on earth are you doing here!) I thought I would give you guys a heads up on a tasty new skincare range which is launching in Body shop stores on the 1st September. The new Oils of Life range co-insides with their body care range known as Spa of the World, as both ranges use a variety of essential and seed oils with the intention of 'intensely revitalising' your skin. Sounds good to me!

The Oils of Life range includes 4 products and 1 facial massager.

- Oils of life twin ball facial massager
- Oils of life intensely revitalising cream
- Oils of life intensely revitalising gel cream (this contains AH-MA-ZING illuminating particles which give an insane glow to the skin once applied)
- Oils of life intensely revitalising bi-phase essence lotion (this is seriously fab, its basically a lotion which enables moisturiser to absorb into the skin quicker and more effectively)
- Oils of life intensely revitalising facial oil

FYI - Only the facial oil contains those illustrious essential oils, the rest of the collection is made up of a variety of seed oils (rosehip, black cumin and camellia seed oils are your main gals) 


I'm seriously loving the body shop products at the moment, particularly the Spa of the World Japanese Camellia Body Cream which smells beautiful and sinks into the skin almost instantly, and their Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleep Mask which helps to hydrate and nourish the skin whilst also helping to reduce and combat fine lines and wrinkles!



xxx

Summer OOTD: The Makers Market, Knutsford

With the gorgeous weather we have been having in the UK recently (minus the thunderous afternoons) I visited the 'The Makers Market' in Knutsford. Held on the last Sunday of every month and showcasing local food, produce and crafts, a visit is well worth it, if only to take pictures! 

For my outing I wore a simple, summery outfit, at the minute I am loving florals and my ripped jeans. All of the items i'm wearing were bought recently, so if any of them take your fancy... get shopping!

Details:
Floral Blouse - French Connection (SALE - £42)
Ripped Jeans - Miss Selfridge (possibly £30)
Sandals- Steve Madden, bought from TKMAXX, £24.99
Sunnies - QUAY Australia available at Topshop, £25

Mirror selfie showing off my new market purchase, a floral wire headband, made with Liberty print fabric, I bought two and am absolutely in love! If only I could remember the name of the lady who makes them! 

Monthly Favourites - January 2015

This month, I've had a lot of spare time on my hands, which is always bad for my purse! And has resulted in a lot of money being spent on what some may call 'unnecessary' items....pffft. All beauty products are necessary in my book! So in this weeks blog post I thought I'd share some of my favourites:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation: in the shade NW13. Of all the MAC foundations and concealers I've tried in the past, this is the first one that has been correctly colour matched, hooray! It's perfect for oily/combination skin, and provides the medium/full coverage that I look for in a foundation. After a month of heavy use, it's an inevitable repurchase for the future (I'm looking at you Duty Free) 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream (Fragrance Free): A while pack I received a small sample of this multi-use product, it's a great winter skincare product essential as it does wonders for dry, flaky skin. Which at this time of year you can find right on the end of my nose, annoying as hell, but the eight hour cream sorts it right out, so I recently went all out and purchased the full size, a whopping 50ml, which will literally last forever. It also claims to have many other uses which I am yet to explore: shape brows, revitalize shine, soothe dry hands and smooth cuticles and nails, as well as treating burns, sunburn and cracked lips! A true all rounder. 

Rituals Miracle Hand Balm: My current go-to bedside table hand cream. I've always been funny about 'crinkly' hands after I've sat in the bath too long, so this super thick balm does just the trick by returning my hands to something more human like. However, do be warned, this hand balm is a definite no no for the daytime, way too sticky and greasy. I've made that mistake. 

Aveda Smooth Infusion Hair: I'M IN LOVE. Another savior product for my #hagridhair days. This glossing straightener should be applied to wet hair after washing, it's heat activated so only works when you blow dry your hair, but it promises to 'straighten out waves, curls and kinks for all day control and lustrous shine'. Perfect. And it actually works! Bonus. 

Magic Minerals by Jerome Alexander: New to UK, and available via High Street TV, this powder conceals and covers like a powder foundation, but with a twist. It features different coloured 'spots' within the powder, the pink, brightens pale complexions, the mint, reduces redness and conceals skin discolouration, the lavender, camouflages yellow and sallow complexions, and the yellow, conceals dark circles and uneven skin tone. It's also great for setting foundation, or as I like to use it, as a base on those 'no makeup, but I can't leave the house like this' days. The compact is super pretty too! 

Ole Henrikson Pure Truth Melting Cleanser 3 in 1 Cleansing gelee: first of all, 'gelee' yes please. If that one word alone hasn't sold you, read on... As i'm obsessed with cleansing balms and the like, I picked up a sample size (30ml) of this skincare product after reading Caroline Hiron's blogpost. It's honestly unlike anything I've used before in terms of texture, but I do love the smell, very citrus-y. for more information I can only do the honorable thing a lead you to Ms. Hirons herself. 

TV Show - The Fosters: My love for this programme grows stronger with every week. I've now watched the first series and a half twice over, and literally wait like an over excited puppy for the new episode to air... Sad I know. 

Film - The Theory of Everything. Eddie Redmayne fully deserves every award possible for his performance as Stephen Hawking in the film, he's just unbelievable!  

Album - Hozier by Hozier, after listening to his live lounge on radio 1 earlier this month, I just had to download the album, my favourite tracks are: Take Me To Church, From Eden, and Foreigner's God. 

Link me to your January favourites below!

xx

Links to where you can buy the items are hyper-linked in the product titles. 

Fill your Boots!

A few days ago I unintentionally... found myself in Boots, yet again. It's a problem. I picked up a few bits, some oldies and goodies and some newbies. 

The 'Why do I not own you?' foundation:
L'Oréal True Match Foundation in Ivory.
I have been pondering over this foundation for months and months, ever since I started watching Nicole Guerriero's videos on YouTube. But I always found it difficult to find my shade, and it be in stock. After swatching countless colours on the back of my hand, i finally settled on Ivory, one of the palest colours... I need to get some sun soon! And after trying it out on my combination skin these last couple of days, I love it! I'd say it's medium coverage but buildable, and it unexpectedly feels light on the skin, not to dissimilar to the YSL Fusion Ink foundation. It smooths out your skin tone, and works really well with the real techniques buffing brush for application. 

The 'finally someone invented you' bobbles (hair ties):
Scϋnci Thick Hair Elastics 
So for me tying my massive Hagrid hair up into a sleek ponytail has always been a problem. Not helped by bobbles snapping every time i tried - the amount of Primark bobbles I have gone through .... So when I saw these new XXL hair elastics in Boots, I had to give them a whirl. Specially made from for us ladies with thick hair, this pack of 10 bobbles are metal free, therefore causing no damage to the hair, and allow me to wrap the bobble round at least 3 times to make sure it's all secure, i'm so happy someone has finally produced these! Thanks Scϋnci! 

(Am I the only one that calls them bobbles? Unsure...)

The 'you have sparkly packaging' purchase:
No7 Midnight Lash Mascara 
Do I need another mascara? Nope. Why did you just buy one then? Duh, it has sparkly packaging! Now No7 isn't a brand I usually go for, but with a collection of £3 off makeup vouchers, I felt the need to explore. This mascara promises 'spectacular volume' hmmm not sure about that one, but it is a mascara that is great for those, low key, barely there makeup days, and I like it for that, but if you buy this and expect long, fluttering eyelashes, look somewhere else! 

The 'I love anything travel size' razor:

Gillette Venus snap with embrace razor

The Americans have had this for agesss, and it's only just found it's way to the UK. The mini 'snap' razor is just the cutest thing, i just couldn't resist. The razor itself comes in its own little carry case, with holes in the bottom to aid drying out, such a good idea! It features 5 blades, making shaving just as good as it would be when using a normal sized razor. I can't wait to take this away with me! 


xx

What's in my bag? 2015 Winter Edition

I thought it was about time I share with you the contents of my day to day handbag. I was bought my Mulberry Oversized Alexa (Black with Nickel detailing) for my birthday last year, as it was significantly reduced in the sale - praise the lord for sales! At first I did think it might be just too big, as it is on the rather large side, but after getting used to, and beginning to use it for uni, it's just big enough to fit all of my essentials in without the need of negotiating your 5 lip products down to 3 for the sake of 'handbag space'. 

The Essentials:

Iphone 6 White, Lauren Conrad Wallpaper, google it!
Car Keys - Cath Kidston key ring (in the sale right now! £3.50)
House Keys - Nothing to say here....
Umbrella - the one that outlived them all! Superdrug, super cheap and good quality.
Earphones - Apple, standard, only ones I like/fit in my stupidly small ears. 
Perfume - Barr & Co Eua De Parfum in Tobacco 1812 available from Nomad and the Bowerbird. 
Jack Wills Card Holder - Gym card and MCFC season ticket inside. 
Sparkly Silver Gel Pen - sums me up! 
Where things get interesting:

The Purse - Mulberry Bow Continental Wallet in Pink Glossy Goat(currently on sale! ) 

The Makeup Bag - Clearly I like to be prepared! This one's from primark.

Inside:
Laura Mercier Invisible Pressed Setting Powder
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector  
Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant-Perfect Shine Lipstick
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Ole flamingo! 
Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Face brush 
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer
Cath Kidston Mirror
The Body Shop Hand Sanitiser in Satsuma
Swiss Army Knife Handy Card thingy (incl pen, ruler, screwdriver, toothpick etc)
Invisibobble traceless hair ring in black - obsessed with these!



The Diary - New for  2015, recently purchased from Paperchase for £8.00. I think this may be favourite diary ever, purely because i'm a sucker for brown paper, it makes me feel creative and influences my choice of gel pen colour like no other paper will... metallic green anyone?

I love reading peoples What's in their bags (yes, ok, i'm just a generally nosey person!) so link yours below!

xx