MAC Archie's Girls... ♡

I'm not usually that interested in any of MAC's collections. Nothing usually catches my eye but I think their newest one, Archie's Girls, is really something special. 

It's been around for a while now so maybe I am a little bit late with this post, but I've only recently got my hands on a few of the bits from the collection. I know lots of the collection is sold out now but I managed to get these bits from the MAC store in Cardiff, which had quite a few bits left if you're hoping to get some last minute bits and are nearby.

 Let's start by mentioning how cute the packaging. I am in love. Both the outer box packaging and the product packaging are adorable. The cute graphics of Betty and Veronica with the cute little hearts had me at hello. 

The products featured in the collection are all lovely. Think Spring and Summer brights - bright pinks and reds with splashes of purple and some neutrals thrown in there too. I love how they created separate products for both Betty and Veronica, with Betty having the lighter pinky and peachy tones whilst they gave Veronica a deeper edge. The 'Betty' products were more suited to my skin-tone so I kind-of wanted them all but I also picked up an absolute gem from the Veronica set. I really wanted to get the gorgeous Pearlmatte Face Powder's the collection had to offer, a pearlescent powder with cute heart embellishment, but they were completely sold out everywhere - dammit. 

MAC Archie's Girls Betty Nail Lacquer - Creme - in Comic Cute - £11

The polishes in the collection were absolutely gorgeous - I had my eye on the pastel pink shade but I thought one was enough. This shade is perfect for the upcoming spring and summer months as it's a bright, candy pink. It looks gorgeous on my nails and really compliments my pale complexion. The formula is something I was really pleasantly surprised about. I've never heard anything good about the MAC nail polishes so I've never been to fussed about purchasing one, but I thought I'd give one a go as it is soo pretty. I'm not too sure about the MAC formula's for their nail polishes but this one is a 'Creme'. It's smooth, pigmented, easy to apply and the best thing, it's so glossy and shiny  I feel I don't need to apply a top coat over it as it doesn't chip very easily and has their nicest sheen. I can't wait to get my hands on more of the MAC polishes, they're definitely a bit of an underdog product.

MAC Archie's Girls Betty Lipgloss in Kiss & Don't Tell - £15

I've never tried a lip-gloss by MAC but the shade of this one caught my eye - a beautiful pink with a hint of coral. Perfect for Spring and Summer and I've really been enjoying wearing lip-gloss instead of lipstick these past few weeks, as they are a fuss-free alternative. I love this one because the shade is so pretty and the formula is smooth and glossy without being too sticky. This is in the Lipglass formula, which I believe is their basic lip-gloss formula - it has a slight stickiness to it but it manages to still feel comfortable on the lips. The pigmentation is great and the shade really brightens up my face. I love wearing it for a subtle-pink lip. 

MAC Archie's Girls Veronica Matte Lipstick in Ronnie Red - £15.50

This is the absolute gem of the collection. I never ever wear a red lip as I find it just doesn't look nice with my pale and slightly pink skin-tone. I find a standard red just makes me look weird so I've never really bothered trying to find a red that looked nice, I just accepted it and moved on. My boyfriend actually picked this out for as he said I never seem to wear red lipstick and he'd like to see it on me, and he did a terrific job, well done  Mick. I've definitely found the perfect red. I think this one looks nice on me because it has definite pink undertones so it isn't so ''red'' if y'know what I mean, think more of a raspberry red. I think this is quite apparent from the swatch but if you'd like to see it on my then there is a picture here. I was a bit worried about the lipstick itself being dry due to it being in a 'matte' formula but I was so impressed to see how smoothly is glided on which meant it had a slight sheen, which is perfect for me. It also lasted around 2-3 hours on my lips and faded nicely without leaving that 'ring' of colour around my lips like most lipsticks do which make me look like I'm sporting a liner with no lipstick look, which isn't too nice. Lily from What I Heart Today also raved about this lipstick here, so I think it's a bit of an all-rounder considering how completely different our skin-tone/hair colour's are. This lipstick is a definite winner and is 100% worth the slightly expensive price-tag, good job MAC. I'm hoping to see this shade re-promoted in the near future. 

I do feel a little bit guilty posting this as I know lots of the collection is sold out online and in-stores but the polish and lip-gloss are still in stock on the MAC website if you want to get your hands on them. If you can then I urge you to buy something from this collection as it's a good'un and I've been really wowed by each of the products I got. I'm looking forward to see what new collection's MAC have in-store for us this year.

Have you tried anything from the Archie's Girls collection? Do you plan on getting anything if you haven't already? 

♥♥♥

NEOM Luxury Organics Travel Candle in Serenity ♡

 I've been lusting over the NEOM candles after hearing many other beauty bloggers talk about them. They seemed to ooze luxury and all of the scents sound divine. I was so happy to receive one of their travel candles from my parents at Christmas, they really must know me well.

I received the Serenity candle which I think NEOM sum up the scent of perfectly. It's a definite vanilla with a deep edge and it smells divine, it's definitely a very unique scent, I have never smelt a vanilla like this. I love burning this candle whilst I'm revising as it really helps to calm and relax me and fills my room with it's beautiful scent. This is something that I think is soo impressive for such a small candle (75g), even my mum commented on how lovely it made my room smell. What I love about this candle is that the scent is strong but it doesn't feel like it is 'choking' you. I've had problems with Yankee Candle's in the past where I've felt that some of their scents have made me throat swell and I feel choked which makes me uneasy about burning them and I usually end up wasting a candle. 

As you can see from the above picture NEOM's candles are made from a blend of 100% natural vegetable wax and pure aromatherapy oils. They don't contain synthetic frangrance which is why I think they don't affect my throat or breathing which makes the slightly expensive price tag worth it to me. They won't leave black marks around the glass jar which means I'm not breathing in any soot, unlike many of the Yankee Candles I have tried.

NEOM say that their travel candles burn for around 5 hours but I would say mine lasted around 10 hours which really impressed me. The travel candles don't last a really long time considering they have a £15 price tag (especially if you burn it all day like me) but I think its a great way to try out the candles before you splash out on the larger, 3 wick size. They are also such a pleasure to burn that I think it's worth it. 
I also can't wait to use the jar for little trinkets and jewellery once I've cleaned it.

This candle retails for £15 for 75g and the full size (300g) retails at £39.50, but both are currently on sale  here and here. I'm praying that they aren't discontinuing this scent.

I can't wait to repurchase this lovely candle in the full size and also try out some more of their scents, I am currently after the happiness candle and the treatment candle.

Have you tried any NEOM products? 

'Til Next Time,

p.s. sorry for the lack of posts, January exams have taken over, but my last one is on Monday so blog posts will be more regular from next week. Yay. 

❅ A Very Merry Christmas ❅

Just a quick post to wish you all a very merry christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful day surrounded by friends, family and delicious food. I've loved buying gifts for everyone this year and I know I'm going to miss the Christmas shopping now that everything is over. Thank-you all for being such fabulous followers and have a great christmas! 

'Til Next Time,

Recently #2 ❤

Last night - went to see the hobbit // Red lips // The cosiest // Oops // Cranberry green tea // Excited // In bed // South Park appreciation // Christmas top // Tree // Shopping in Cardiff // Mick left me to play sims // Candle lit // Yummy // New coat // New curtains // Diptyque freebie // Jan exams are taking over // Cute little cafe // Walking with the girls

❤

I went to see The Hobbit last night with Mick and it was really good. I thought it may have dragged but I really enjoyed it despite the fidgety couple sitting next to us. 

I've just finished sixth form for Christmas so my days have been spent doing nothing or doing some christmas shopping. I've been so organised this year and I had everyone's presents bought and wrapped a week early, yay for being organised. I actually can't believe it's christmas eve tomorrow, I am so excited to spend christmas with my family, to eat nice food and give everyone my gifts. I also can't wait to receive some LUSH goodies from my parents as its become a little bit of a tradition in my house. 

I also bought these really cute curtains from Ikea, although they are massive (they're even too big for my patio doors) I think I've managed to make them look ok. 

At the start of the month I went on a weekend trip with my friends to a country park. We had to go to do a drug course from school but we stayed in a lovely place with the cutest little cafe. I kind of miss it now.

How are you spending your Christmas day? 

Oh and Merry Christmas everyone!!

p.s the winner of my Burt's Bees giveaway was Catherine from Lady Liquor Vintage! 

'Til Next Time,

Recently ❤

❤ Yesterdays purchases ❤ Costa with mama-bear ❤ Wearing MAC's Rebel lipstick ❤ ootd - easy jeans, crop top, shirt & chain ❤ index cards saving my life - lots of equations to remember ❤ Favorite red nail polish ❤ Essay writing ❤ Yankee Candle Heaven ❤ Casual ootd ❤ Hello ❤ Biology revision ❤ Natural hair ❤ Cleopatra for Halloween ❤ Updating my iPod - Bombay bicycle club, Bon Iver, The XX ❤ New shirt & shopping in Swansea ❤ Me & Mick (boyf) at a Halloween party ❤

I haven't done one of these in a while so I thought I'd update you. I've also been a bit of a bad blogger this week but I have an autumn/winter nails post and glowing skin coming up soon!

I've been wearing my American Apparel Easy Jeans lots recently. I love them to pieces and I will be doing a post dedicated to them soon incase you were thinking about purchasing them. They're so flattering! I also went candle shopping but didn't manage to find anything really nice. I really want the Cinnamon Stick Yankee Candle again because I had it this time last year and it was lovely. At the moment I'm burning the Simply Home Yankee Candle in Cherry Vanilla which is divine.

I've been non-stop revising for the past 2 weeks - exam time is soon (early jan) and I have my first set of AS exams boo. Luckily I only have 3 but lots of revision means not a lot of blogging, super sigh.

Currently I'm waiting for I'm A Celebrity to start - Who's a fan and who's watching it this year? I watch it every year as I find it very funny!

'Til Next Time,

p.s I am currently adding lots of things to my eBay so I'd love for you to check it out here. I currently have a pair of Topshop leggings on there!!

☺ Review; MAC Fluidline in 'Dipdown' ☺

Gel liner is a staple in my daily make-up routine, I love how smoothly and easily it applies which is why I will always wear it over liquid or pencil liner. MAC's Fluid-line in the shade 'Dipdown' is my absolute favorite and I will continue to repurchase it when it eventually runs out. I wear a brown liner because black looks far too harsh on my fair complexion but do not fret, these liners come in an array of shades. 

I heard many bloggers/vloggers talk about this gel liner so I decided to take the plunge and get it around this time last year after E.L.F's Cream Liner dried up on me (I would recommend the e.l.f liner for beginners though!). It was £14 which I think is fairly reasonable for this product and I will happily pay it again. I love this liner because it applies so smoothly. I use the E.L.F Angled Eye-liner brush which I love because it applies it perfectly. It glides on and makes using gel liner every day so effortless. It also lasts a very long time on my weepy eyes. This was the biggest reason I purchased a higher end liner because others would constantly smudge throughout the day, this one definitely doesn't. I'm also very impressed that it hasn't began to dry up yet lots of people said it does easily but mine doesn't even look close to drying up and I've had it for around a year now - there's still lots left too. 

I think this is the perfect gel liner and definitely worth a purchase if you're skeptical, I promise you will get your money's worth.

 I haven't tried the Maybelline Gel Liner but I am planning on trying it soon to do a comparison to see if there is a cheaper offering - let me know if you would like me to do a comparison post.

I hope this was helpful and thanks for reading!

What's your favorite gel liner?

'Til Next Time,

♡ Easy Frankenstein Nails for Halloween ♡

I can only apologise for how sparse my posts have been lately. Sixth form suddenly became very stressful and I ended up being bombarded with work and had no time to post (Taking 5 a-levels was not a good idea).
 I have been taking lots of picture for upcoming posts though, so I have everything sorted for the next few weeks. It's also half term so I have a bit more time to blog. Yay.

I've been having a little bit of interest on my Halloween nail tutorial from last year I thought I would do one this year too. I love painting my nails for holidays like this, I can't wait until Christmas is close so I can do some Christmas inspired nails. I had lots of compliments on this nail design at school, which I was surprised about because it was so easy to create. I took inspiration from this photo on google images. 

How To...

1. Apply your favorite nail polish base, I used Essie's Nail Foundation.
2. Apply an opague layer of green nail polish. The one I used is discontinued sorry.
3. Using the end of a bobby pin and some black nail polish draw a horizontal line and smaller vertical lines over it as the mouth. 
4. Then at the base of your nail draw wavy lines using black polish and the same end of the bobby pin to create his hair.
5. Then using the other end of the bobby pin and some white polish (or pale pink as I used because I had no white) dab on small circles for the eyes.
6. Then using a bobby pin and black polish dab a smaller black circle inside the previous one.
7. Cover with your favorite top coat. I used Sally Hansen's Double Duty.

See, I told you it was easy. I hope you all liked this quick and easy tutorial and I would love to know if you would like me to do more nail tutorials, I really enjoy doing them.

What are you all doing for Halloween? I promise to be a better blogger over the upcoming weeks!

'Til Next Time,

♡ Soap & Glory Original Pink Eau De Parfum ♡

Soap & Glory Original Pink Eau De Parfum 50ml ~ £16.50 

I received this lovely perfume from my parents for my birthday last weekend. I was actually really excited to see it as I never would of thought of buying this myself as I tend to prefer to save up or wait for Christmas to get a higher end perfume. I'm also glad I got it because lots of the Soap & Glory products (especially the righteous butter) are heavenly scented, which tends to mix with other perfumes I wear, but this one has a similar scent and ties everything together. 

I'm sure most have you have smelt the Soap & Glory products and they smell divine. This perfume is no exception, it has the trademark sweet, clean and fresh scent which is so so lovely.

"features fresh citrus top notes of orange leaf, lemon, peach ad sweet strawberries, with a sparkling heart of mandarin, summer rose, gardenia blooms and jasmine, on a patchouli, warm amber and lush musk base."

The perfume itself is actually of really nice quality, it doesn't quite linger like most higher end fragrances but it sticks around long enough so you don't end up applying it every hour. This scent is a really nice one for me to wear to school. It's not too expensive so I don't feel like I'm wasting it, it's fresh and clean smelling and it lasts for most of the day. I actually am quite fond of the packaging, I'm not the biggest fan of pink or the kind-of tacky shiny silver bottle but I think it fits for this product. The only thing that slightly bothers me is the fact that it doesn't have a lid, but it does have a little 'ribbon' stopper which would stop the product being wasted if it was in your bag etc. so I guess it's not a massive problem.

Overall I really like this perfume and would definitely consider re-purchasing when I've run out. Next time your near a boots make sure you have a sniff!

Rating: ★★★★

Have you tried this perfume?

'Til Next Time,

☼ DIY; Glycolic Face Mask using Pineapple ☼

So, after doing a little bit of research on glycolic acid as I have been hearing lots about it the skincare world at the moment, I found out that pineapples were a great, natural and cheap source of it, so I decided to have a go at making myself a diy face mask using pineapples. All the ingredients for this face mask came to around £6.50 and you can get many, many uses from them, so definitely a great, purse friendly mask.

What you will need: 

• Organic or Natural Honey
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Pinapple
• A bowl
• Something to mix and mash the face mask - I used a potato masher and then a hand blender

Benefits

• Pineapples contain AHA's (alpha hydroxy acids) which chemically exfoliate the skin. Sounds a little scary but it helps get rid of dead skin cells and leaves your skin incredibly smooth. Chemical exfoliatants are great for spot removal and prevention. The AHA's in Pineapple's are also known to have anti-ageing effects. Pineapple is also a gentle astringent which helps with visible pores and leaves skin feeling refreshed and healthy.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a perfect addition to the mask as it helps to nourish and moisturize the skin. Unlike some other oils, olive oil will wash away easily leaving skin feeling supple and nourished.
• Organic Honey is also another great way of moisturising the skin. I regularly use organic honey on it's own as a mask when my skin is feeling dry as it has great moisturising properties. Honey may also reduce inflammation and swelling which is great if you have any sore spots etc.

How to:

1. Cut the pineapple into two rings making sure the outer layer of spikey skin and the hardness in the center have been removed.
2. Place pineapple rings in a bowl and begin to mash and blend until satisfied.
3. Measure 1tsp of organic honey and 3tsps of extra virgin olive oil. Pour these into the mixture and blend/mix until happy. The mixture should be a thin consistency and have very small chunks of pineapple in it.
4. Rub the mixture all over your face (make sure it has been cleansed beforehand) avoiding the eye area, until you have the desired amount on. This can get quite messy so I recommend doing it over a sink as the mixture is not very thick and it will drip and slide off your face to begin with.
5. Once you have desired amount on your face then lie down and relax for 10-20 minutes.
6. Wash away gently with warm water and finish with a splash of cold water to close pores. Then gently pat dry with a clean towel.
7. Follow with a moisturiser to lock everything in.

The Results

My skin felt really supple and smooth after using this mask. It did sting and irritate my skin a little whilst it was on but this did not affect my skin negatively afterwards at all. My skin felts nourished and around my nose, chin and forehead, where my skin tends to be very uneven, was very smooth. I also noticed that my skin looked 'glowing' and it was much more clearer for the following days. It did leave a little bit of a film over my skin but that had disappeared by the next morning. I really liked the effects of this mask and will definitely make and use it again! I recommend only using this mask 1-2 times a week otherwise it may be too harsh.

Will you be trying this mask?

'Til Next Time,

★ Essie Nail Polish; My Thoughts ★

I was very intrigued by Essie's nail polish after hearing blogger after blogger and youtuber after youtuber saying how amazing they were. Also, the Essie shade range is beyond amazing and all the hype surrounding the nail polish's made them seem so amazing. At around £7.99 per bottle I was a bit hesitant, as I'm sure lots of other people are. When I saw a pack of two of Essie polish's at good ole' Tk Maxx for just £7.99 I couldn't resist. The pack came with one coloured polish and a base coat called "Nail Foundation".

I was actually really pleasantly surprised by the Essie polish I picked up which is in the shade Cocktail Bling and it's a beautiful grey/blue toned purple and I think it looks really good on my nails and with my skin tone.
 I believe I have this with the new brush because the brush is pretty wide which makes it so so easy to paint your nails perfectly and I always look for larger brushes when picking nail polishes. The formula of the polish is really nice, the perfect inbetween being thick and thin, it's not gloopy but it's not runny. I found it extremely easy to paint my nails with this polish which is really impressive. I was also impressed with the stay power of this polish, it stays for 4-5 days without chipping which is really helpful for me whilst I'm at school because I never find the time to change my polish regularly. Bear in mind that I've only tried one of the Essie Polishes and I know the formulation with different colours may vary but Cocktail Bling is very nice. The base coat is nice but I wouldn't repurchase in a hurry.

Overall I'm actually really impressed. I wouldn't say to run out and get one as they aren't the only polishes that are good out there but I do think you get what you pay for with these polishes, even if £7.99 is a little steep. I would definitely buy an Essie polish again if I was in love with the colour or if there was a good deal on. 
Rating: ★★★

⋆⋆ MAC Morange ⋆⋆

I bought a new MAC lipstick recently as I had been lusting over it for months and I thought I should treat myself for doing so well in my exams. MAC Morange is the perfect lipstick for me. It's my answer to a red lip as bright red lipstick can really bring the pink and red tones out in my skin which often makes me look overly flushed and leaves my skin looking un-even. MAC Morange works really well for me because it's a neon orange with a hint of red. I absolutely adore it.

M.A.C Amplified Creme Lipstick in Morange ~ £14

I ordered the lipstick from Debenhams as beauty card holders get free delivery and I wasn't going anywhere near a MAC store (even though I ended up in one before it arrived, typical). 

It took around 6 days to come (but I did order it over a bank holiday) which was far too long for my impatient self.

The formula of this lipstick is absolutely perfect. It's so creamy to apply and goes on as a very strong colour with just one application. It's nice and moisturizing on my lips with a subtle sheen but after around 1-2 hours it begins to dry out and change into more of a matte finish which keeps the lipstick on for 3-4 hours +. 

It's safe to say I am in love with this lipstick and I can see myself not being able to stop myself from wearing it. I definitely think MAC lipsticks are worth the price especially the amplified finish range as Morange has a beautiful formula.

Have you tried Morange? What's your current favourite lipstick?

'Til Next Time,

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☮ Giveaway; Revlon Nail Enamel ☮

So, this is going to be my first ever giveaway. It's a small one, a very very small one, but I know I won't be able to do the larger giveaway I have planned for a while so I thought I'd do a small one for now just to thank you all for reading, commenting and following my blog. It makes me so happy to know that all the hard work I put into this is appreciated by at least someone and it really does put a smile on my face.

I decided to give away a Revlon Nail Polish because they are one of my favourite brands of nail polish to buy. They have a lovely formula and brush, and application is really easy. They stay on for around 3 days with no chipping and they last forever as the bottle is so big.

 The winner will receive one Revlon Nail Enamel in the shade Blue Lagoon completely new and un-opened. The colour of this is a beautiful pastel baby blue with the most subtle hints of shimmer, it is a truly beautiful shade.

To enter fill in the Rafflecopter form below where there are a number of ways of gaining entries, the only requirements is that you are a follower of my blog and you leave a comment with an email address or twitter username so I can contact you if you win. The giveaway will end in exactly one week on the 9th of September and the winner will be chosen soon after. If the winner does not reply after 48hrs of being contacted then a new winner will be chosen. I'm so so sorry but the giveaway is for UK residents only, I will be doing an international one in the near future though.

Good luck everyone :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


'Til Next Time,