Glossybox: November

Nail Rock designer nail wraps, Monu skin perfector cream, FC5 cooling foot creme, Dead Sea Spa Magik bath salts, Serge Lutens eau de parfum (two separate samples).

This month's box turned out to be... so so. The only thing I really liked was one of the perfume samples (again, bit of an 'easy item' if you ask me), the one in the grey box- beautiful scent, but I'd rather pay out that kind of money (£70+) on some Chanel No 5. I don't have a bath at home, so I'll be trying out the bath salts at my boyfriends, but the packaging is hideous, reminds me of cleaning crystals from a supermarket... The foot cream and face perfector smell nice, and I'll be trying them out a bit later on. The nail wraps are ok, look very fiddly, so I might try applying them on some falsies first, very happy that I got the leopard print though! I'm hoping Glossybox bring out a good Christmas box, or I will probably unsubscribe in January, I'm fed up of getting endless perfume samples, although I really wanted to try the Illamasqua Freak sample, and it didn't appear in my box- typical. However, the samples in this one are nice so I kind of won both ways :) Anyway, this box has given me some new things to try out, and that is the whole point, but I would have reallllllllly appreciated some makeup...maybe next month!
Off to watch Super Tiny Animals now, hoping there will be a tiny pug!
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antics

Pentax, storage for my film photography, amazing hair oil, Lush dusting powder & scented candle, trinket box, new skincare, Nivea cream, winter wardrobe, asos dress.

Equilateral

I love my pentax

mint & blueberry meringues that turned out to be MASSIVE

all pictures (apart from 1-2) are from tumblr/google images

Some wonderful, lovely pictures for you. I've been going mad with my cameras today, so soon I can put some more of my own up. I can't find the original sources to the above as I download and store them for my own reference (sorry!), but if any are yours then please let me know :)

Lots of cooking went on today, even though I picked up a nasty stomach bug at work yesterday- seems to have been a 24hr thing though. Tomorrow I'm working from 5pm onwards (apparently until 10pm) as we have a large stock count to do, not getting paid either, just a day off in December which is apparently a massive deal- I'd honestly rather have the money but I suppose I get to have my birthday off next month- still, I think Lloyds are taking the piss, and also advantage of us...grumble.

Already seen some blog posts on this month's Glossybox, bit of a 'meh' one coming I think, unless some of the products turn out to be life changers...apparently they've promised us a very special box for Christmas, so maybe that will be a good one!
I'm also thinking of starting a Lookbook account, thinking about it though, it's just having the time! I really feel like a holiday- roll on New Year!

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P.S. How cute are those pugs?? Mine will be like that one day haha!

Collection 2000: Cream Puff review

Collection 2000- Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Cream in Fairy Cake 3.

After seeing this plastered around the blogs I read I thought I would try this out- don't really go in for lip colour apart from MAC lipsticks, and this looked easier to apply/top up than a lippy. When I went to get this, there were 5 colours available, and the one I really wanted (the more nude/brown toned one) had sold out. I went for this pinky toned one, which seemed the next most wearable. I suffer from very dry, cracked lips, and I have to apply a ton of Carmex underneath this for it to be comfortable, but it's really not that drying. I wouldn't agree with the 'Moisturising' aspect of this cream however, although it does say it dries to a matt finish on the back so be warned! The colour is lovely, much more pink than I'd usually wear, but I'm glad I chose it, I might have a play with layering it over Shy Girl or something. The only off-putting thing is the scent. It really smells like overly sweet cake, and although I like cake it does become a little sickening. The smell tends to wear off after application though, so I just don't breathe too much when I take the applicator out of the bottle...
So, how long does it last? A good couple of hours, and it doesn't seem to leave gloop around your mouth (if that makes sense?!). Overall, it's a nice product, and it is really easy to apply and build up. For £2.99 you can't really go wrong, just invest in a good lip balm/treatment first.

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Topshop Ambush

Ambush boots- Topshop.

Bought these the other day after my faithful New Look boots suddenly died, hopefully I can fix them, but I had my eye on these for a while. They are pretty pricey, but they are leather, so hopefully they might last for a bit. I love the double side zips and the soft nubuck leather. They fit like a dream! I've only worn them for an hour, but they seem very comfy despite the 2 inch heel. They also have a satisfying 'clomp'.

In other news, I'm working. And that's it. Apart from starting to stress about Christmas presents, I need to make a list and organise a day to trawl around the shops, hopefully before all the shopping crowds have the same idea. I think Christmas is the only time in my life when I detest shopping, I always see stuff I want myself, and I am so rubbish at thinking up 'original' presents for everyone...ughhh. So, yeah- that will be fun.
I also need to start looking for more heritage related stuff to get into, doing something with my degree and getting paid for it would be ideal, and also quitting where I work would be too. I do enjoy my job, but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life, and certainly not something I would have had to go to University for in order to do. Anyway, I'm hoping the next year will bring some new, exciting experiences. Maybe I should put a bit more into this blog, it's not what I thought it was going to be, to be honest, and I think lack of commitment/effort on my part is largely to blame. Ho hum, it's now just having the motivation to crawl out of my little rut and do something!

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Little things

Primark cardigan, ASOS dress, Barry M Mint green nail polish

Dorothy Perkins jumper & dress

Eylure 107 lashes, Barry M silver foil nail polish and Nails Inc. Basil Street polish (free)

Duac Skin lotion (prescription only), Garnier BB cream in Light

Just a few new things I've accumulated over the past weeks, also got some more new stuff coming from ASOS haha... Work has been busy this week, and so has my life to some extent, with doctors appointments and family arguments over moving house, but I still feel quite dissatisfied with my situation at the moment, everyone else seems to be moving out/away from here, doing interesting stuff and getting interesting jobs. I just seem to be floating around with no real purpose or direction, I think I'm missing the freedom and independence of University. Anyway, enough moping, I just hope that this time next year I'll be somewhere different and more exciting...
I finally got somewhere to sorting out my 'problem skin'. Apparently my hormones are faulty, so they can't really do much about that but I now have some seriously strong antibiotic gel (Duac Once Daily- on prescription only) to help keep spots at bay. It really dries the skin out, making it tight, flaky and itchy- I feel so sorry for people who have this all the time. These symptoms should disappear in 2 weeks though as my skin should get used to the peroxide (bit scary). To help my skin along (you can't use oily makeup while using the gel), I invested in the BB cream from Garnier, it's very moisturising and smells lovely. It doesn't really cover up blemishes but gives light coverage to the skin without any 'cakey' feeling. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good tinted moisturiser, or a light foundation that helps counteract dry skin. I apply it using a foundation kabuki brush, but you can use your hands if you prefer.
I also got some new eyelashes today, 107s from Eylure. I accidently hoovered my old ones up! I also picked up the Barry M silver foil nail varnish, to be honest I wanted a silver and this happened to be on the shelf, can't say it resembles tin foil, but it is a lovely silver shade. If you get Glamour this month there's a free full size Nails Inc. varnish included, I already had the red shade from a previous collaboration, so I opted for a nice nude/brown (actually nicer than how I've described it...). I'm also contemplating on going back to blonde now I have money. Decisions, decisions!

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MUA Eyeshadows

£1 each at Superdrug. L-R: Shade 30 & 11.

I picked these up on a whim whilst in a Superdrug last week, there isn't a store near where I live, so if I visit one then I have a through snoop. To be honest, I prefer high end cosmetics over cheap and cheerful products, but these are brilliant value (some go into the sale for 20p...) and they really are good beauty products. The one on the right (11) is my favourite, providing a sheer wash of colour that's also buildable, with minimal glitter, even though it looks very shimmery. The shade on the left (30)  is quite orange on the skin, but again, can be built up into quite an intense gold. For a quid each you can't go wrong. Although I will always favour MAC etc, these shadows will end up forming part of my make up bag staples. They last a surprisingly long time too, dare I say it, longer than my MAC shadows...?! I will be looking for a few more, hopefully in matte shades when I next go into a Superdrug.
Overall, if you're looking for a quick fix, bank balance friendly beauty product, one that has staying power and a good amount of pigment, then I would really recommend these :)

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