♡ MAC / Rebel ♡

Rebel was actually my first lipstick and purchase from MAC. I thought it was such a unique and lovely colour, especially for the autumn/winter months being a deep purple with a pop of fuchsia  It's not quite the typical 'berry/purple' shade which is why is caught my eye.

Rebel is a satin finish lipstick so it isn't shiny nor matte when applied but the perfect balance between the two. It sticks around for 1-2 hours on me - I find lipsticks never last that well on me and tend to go patchy but this one fades perfectly leaving behind a lovely stain, which is something I really do love. Although, I do find sometimes when it's applied the colour can look 'uneven'. Some parts can look darker than others which is something that makes this lipstick a bit hit and miss for me and leaves me a bit uneasy about wearing it if I don't have much time to spend applying it perfectly. It's definitely not a lipstick you can slap on from the tube and run out the door.

I'm still so glad I have it in my collection, it really is a lovely lipstick when you take your time applying it, building it up using a lip brush in thin layers. When applied like this it looks gorgeous  especially with a gloss of the top. I recommend the Natural Collection Lipgloss in Fondant, I lovely peachy shade which is non sticky and cheap as chips. I would definitely recommend this it if your looking for a winter/autumn lipstick with a bit of a twist, I really do think this lipstick is very unique in colour and isn't something you'll find on the high-street which makes the price tag a little more bare-able  I urge you to go to a MAC store and give it a little swatch because it is a gorgeous colour in person.

As always MAC lipstick are one of my favorites (although only owning two). I think you definitely get your money's worth and they have a huge collection of beautiful shades. I'm currently lusting over Craving (I blame Helen for this!) and Sunny Seoul. 

Are you lusting over any lipsticks? What's your favorite lipstick for the colder months?

Want to win yourself some Urban Decay, Real Techniques and Essie goodies? Head on over to Helen's lovely blog to enter her 1500 follower giveaway here! 

'Til Next Time,

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. 

MAC Morange Dupe ♡

If you are a regular reader of my blog you may have noticed I am a little bit in love with MAC's lipstick in Morange. It's featured in both of my recent outfit posts and it has a whole post dedicated to it here, it's safe to say I am a little bit obsessed with it so naturally I have been on the hunt for a dupe and I think I've found one, introducing Topshop's Mexican Wave.

I found Mexican Wave recently in the Topshop sale for a bargainous £3. Unfortunately it was part of the Louise Grey collection so I assume they are discontinuing it, but there were loads in store when I visited a few days so I'm sure you can still get it. Also, I believe Topshop will probably re-promote this shade as it is so gorgeous and I have seen similar shades before this one was released. I will be sure to update you if they do bring it out again.

As you may be able to notice from the photos, Mexican Wave is a slightly more pinky/red shade and is not as neon and orange as the Morange, which I barely noticeable on the lips. The formulation of both lipsticks are very similar. They are both creamy to apply but gradually get more matte. Morange is a teeny bit creamier and smoother than Mexican Wave but both apply beautifully. I would say they both last between 1-2 hours on the lips which is standard for me. 

They are both very similar so if you want to try Morange but you're a bit weary of the price then this is the perfect lipstick for you, just snap it up quick before it sells out.

Do you have any MAC dupes?

'Til Next Time,

★ Hello 2013 ★

Shirt // New Look

Jeans // American Apparel 

Necklace // Topshop

Shoes // H&M

Nails // Topshop (Hidden Treasure)

Lipstick // MAC Morange 

I hope you all had a wonderful new year whether you went out and celebrated or had a night in. I went to the pub with my boyfriend and his family and it was really nice. Lots of kisses and hugs at midnight and it was nice spending time with my boyfriend's family.

I didn't wear anything too fancy but I really love this shirt from New Look that my mum got me for Christmas. It has such a lovely print and is super easy to style. I just popped it on with my Easy Jeans as I love them and can't take them off. Sometimes I feel a little self-conscious in them as they do show up everything and I'm not the smallest of people but I still love them, I want to get them in a darker shade as I think my 'lumps and bumps' won't show up as much then. I then threw on these chunky heels from H&M. These are my go-to heels as they are so comfy but still look really good. H&M do some of the best heels for comfort.

So, what are your plans for 2013? This year should be a good one for me as I'm turning 18 and learning to drive and hopefully going on holiday too. I don't have any resolutions as such just to be a little more positive  I'm starting with that by buying the 14,000 things to be happy about book and leaving it on my desk so I can flick through it when I'm feeling down. I also want to put my all into my AS levels. I want to work really hard so I can feel like I deserve a pat on the back by the end of them. My first exams are in a few days so sorry if blogging becomes a little sparse, I am trying to revise like crazy. 

I also want to grow my blog throughout the new year. I'm looking forward to what 2013 holds for my little blog and I'm really hoping I can create my own little slice of the web. I really want to make it even more enjoyable for myself and really invest some time into it so you guys get great content that I've really enjoyed creating. I've been reading Blog Inc and I am really enjoying it so far. It's really made me think about where I want to take this blog and how I'm going to do it. 

What are your new years resolutions if you have any? What does 2013 hold for you?

Thank-you all for being such amazing readers throughout 2012 and wish you all love and happiness.

'Til Next Time,

❅ 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,

✿ Review; Vichy Pureté Thermale Soothing Cleansing Milk ✿

I bought this product whilst escentual.com were having 15% off all their french skincare brands (and still are!). I was having lots of trouble with congested and dry skin so I was really interested in trying a cleansing milk and taking my skincare back to basics. 

It was such a pleasure ordering from escentual.com! The package came within 2 days and they even included a perfume sample and a nail file with my order. I will definitely be ordering from there again as it was such a nice experience.

I love how simple this product is. It does what it says on the tin and is such a pleasure to use. I was expecting it to be of a thinner consistency being a cleansing 'milk' but it's more of a lotion. I massage it all over my face to remove my make-up in the evening and then splash off. It is the best product I have used for removing make-up. It gets rid of everything and I can almost feel the make-up dissolving as I massage the product in. Despite getting rid of ever scrap of make-up it leaves my skin nourished and not feeling tight or stripped. It has a lovely but not too strong scent and is such an easy product to use.

I would definitely re-purchase this product as it is completely worth the money and is such a pleasure to use!

You can buy this product here with 15% off.

Have you tried this? What's your favourite product from Vichy?

'Til Next Time,

❅ Christmas Gift Guide // For the Beauty Lover ❅

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat & Luxurious Mascara Gift Set // £48.00

NEOM Refresh Organic Treatment Candle // £15.00

Aromatherapy Associates Perfect Partners // £16.00

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle // £21.50

Benefit Fast Track to Fabulous Gift Set // £39.50

Jimmy Choo Hat Box 60ml Gift Set// £44.00

Caudalie Divine Oil Gift Set // £28.00

I thought I would do a gift guide post dedicated to girls who love all things beauty. I know I would looove everything on this list, as a beauty lover myself, I thought these items would be perfect to give to any fan of all things beauty.

The NEOM candle is on my own Christmas list as I've always wanted to try them. This travel sized one for just £15 is a great way to try the candle's out without having to spend the full £30/£40 for the full size. On Cult Beauty they have a great variety of scents, each dedicated relieving stress or helping you feel refreshed. These candle's are a lovely luxurious treat any beauty fan would adore. 

I have also been lusting after some Aromatherapy Associates Oil's so the Perfect Partners gift set is again a lovely way of trying them out without having to part with too much money. They look so luxurious and have a lot of hype surrounding them. These are great for any beauty lover who love to pamper themselves.

I would absolutely loove the YSL gift set. I've tried their mascara already and it is pretty darn good. Every beauty lover would know of the Touche Eclat, being a cult product I'm sure anyone would love to give this a try. I love the packaging too.

I could of included a million more gift set's in this post but I couldn't fit them all in. Great sites for beauty gifts are cultbeauty.co.uk, feelunique.co.uk, asos.co.uk and debenhams.co.uk!

I hope this post was a helpful one and I hope you enjoyed reading!

What beauty gift sets have you been lusting over recently? 

'Til Next Time,

♡ Nude Tones ♡

Boutique Crepe Sheepskin Biker Jacket // £150

Textured Wool Cocoon Jacket // £85

Maveriq Snake Studded Slippers // £32

Double Eyelash Lace Bra // £18

Lace Sleeveless Crop // £22

Eyelash Lace Trim Teddy // £35

Mixed Panel Knit Scarf // £16

Rhinestone Trail Cross Earrings // £12.50

Velvet Star Pants // £48

I am in love with all things lace at the moment. Especially black lace. I love the lacey, high neck crop top and I think it would look lovely with my American Apparel Easy Jeans. I'm also lusting over all things nude. Nude and black look beautiful together, even lovelier if there's navy or berry tones thrown in.

❅ ☃ Christmas Giveaway: Burt's Bees Basics Gift Set ☃ ❅

So I thought I'd give a little something back to you for being such fabulous followers. It means so much to me that you read and enjoy my blog - I wish I could give something to each and every one of you!

So I will be giving away this Burt's Bees Basics Gift Set which I purchased with my own money from feelunique.com. I know this is only a little something but I thought this was a lovely little set - and a great way to try out a lovely brand, I know I kind of want to keep this for myself but don't worry I shan't.

All you have to do to be in with the chance of entering is fill in the form below - my only requirements are that you are a follower of my blog, you leave a comment including your email/twitter and that you live in the UK (sorry international followers!). You can do a few extra things to increase your chances of winning which are explained in the form below. This giveaway will run from today (November 25th) for three weeks until December 16th so you'll receive the gift as a Christmas present! I will contact the winner asap and if I do not get a response within 48 hours another winner will be chosen. The winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter.
Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 'Til Next Time,