Its Christmas!

  

Well, sort of, we're into the last hour now.

Everyone in my house is asleep and I'm curled up in bed watching my new Peter Pan blu-ray (definitely thanking the boyfriend's parents for that one) by fairy-light - how else?

Seeing as my new years resolution will be to really get into blogging, because honestly, I am so unorganized, I thought it would make sense just to show you the Christmas presents I received that I think I will use the most and will probably mention at one point or another. I am very grateful for everything I got today but these are just my sneaky faves!

Both of these gifts came from my boyfriend. We have a sort of tradition for buying each other a cuddly toy and for Valentine's day, he bought me Marie, the kitten from the Aristocats, and has seemed to carry on the Disney theme with Simba(!), because I'm such a massive child. 

Secondly, my new Doctor Who t-shirt! Now I am so excited by this, and seeing as my emotions are still running high from the Christmas special, it makes me smile every time I look at it, although every single family member I've seen today has felt it their need to call me a geek at least once.

Since the movie came out, the whole world it seems has been obsessed with The Great Gatsby. My mum bought me an F. Scott Fitzgerald set a while ago and told me I had to wait until Christmas for them, so refrained, with great pain, from seeing the film. Hopefully, once I finish the book it might be my next Blu-Ray investment.

Talking about movies, Peter Pan! My favourite Disney movies when I was younger were The Aristocats, The Lion King, Peter Pan and the Jungle Book. I say when I was younger, they're pretty much still my favourite films and I wasn't expecting to open this today. Yay!

Then, just a mixture of bath and body stuff. My favourite shops are The Body Shop and Lush so my mum bought me a couple of things from The Body Shop, including the Mango Whip Body Lotion in the picture, my brother bought me a big box of things from Lush, and my boyfriend bought me 2 of my favourite bath bomb from Lush, So White, and he also bought me the Katy Perry Killer Queen giftset and the body lotion smells A-Mazing.

After handling all this stuff my room smells delicious, and now I'm off to bed as I'm at work at 8am tomorrow. Sigh. Christmas really is over for another year. That can only mean one thing... January Sales! Payday next week definitely can't come quick enough for me.

Was your Christmas merry? What was your favourite gift to give/receive? Let me know!

My go-to lipsticks

I've noticed a lot of people posting their 'Winter Lipsticks' and I thought I'd do something a bit similar. I don't really use lipstick that much, but I've gone all out and bought 2 new lipsticks (ooh) and I'm using lipstick a lot more this winter so that's something new for me to explore.

The Rimmel Kate Matte 113 lipstick I bought back at the end of summer, and if I'm wearing eyeliner I tend not to go for anything on my lips. This lipstick has just kind of helped me get out of not using anything, but doesn't draw away attention from my eyes. I have been wearing eyeliner a lot less though, because I'm finding it a bit too much with everything else is already so dark - sob.

Then I dragged my boyfriend to Superdrug where I bought my other Rimmel lipstick, but forgot my student card so couldn't get discount - sigh.

This one is the Rimmel Lasting Finish Drop Of Sherry 058. I sort of wanted to buy a Rimmel lipstick that wasn't from the Kate collection because I bought a few over the summer, and this one looked quite similar to a shade I did find in the collection, but I actually preferred the look of this one. I actually like it a lot more than I thought I would. It's a sort of dark pinky/red colour, that can sort of look like a dark pinky/brown when on. I have an awkward skin tone that's really pale, but not pale enough to suit bright reds and I definitely don't suit browns, but this mixture is a subtle enough combination that I think (hope) looks okay ha!

I don't know why but I also find it stays on a lot better than my matte lipstick, but that might just be me and my weird lips.

The last lipstick I got I ordered from Avon. The shade is Plum Intrigue. I reaaaaaally wanted to get a purple-y shade lipstick, but as I mentioned, awkward skin tone restricts me to what I can get. This lipstick is quite dark (for me) when I first put it on but it actually rubs away really quickly so once I've fully done my lips it's a bit lighter than when I start, but I actually prefer it - I actually think it's my favourite overall shade.

All in all this winter, I've pretty much stuck to no eyeliner, not too dark eyes, and the Plum Intrigue and Drop Of Sherry lipsticks. 

Have you tried any of these lipsticks? Did you get on well with them? What lipsticks are your 'go-to' this winter?

Let me know!

N xxx

I'm useless!

So much for consistent posting!
On a serious note, a very close relative of mine has been affected by a sudden illness, so that's thrown me a little bit,  - oops!
Hopefully though I can get a few posts up in the next few days :-)

N xxx

The dreaded seasonal shopping

I started my Christmas shopping in the first week of November. I wrapped the presents I bought and then waited until my next paycheck. However, illness and technical faults meant I didn't get paid as much as I'd hoped, so my festive shopping has been put on hold.

If I'm completely honest, I'm feeling a bit confused by it all this year. This is my first Christmas having had a job, meaning my own money is being spent on presents rather than money my mum's given me, so I really want to get it right.

So far, my list of people to buy for looks like this;

Boyfriend

Mum

Nan

Brother

Boyfriend's parents

Boyfriend's nan

However, I am unsure of whether to buy my college friends presents. We've only known each other for 2 months, so I'm a bit unsure of what to buy them really, but I can't just buy for one or two and not the rest. I also don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable because they didn't get anything for me.

Maybe I'll just get them all something small.

Who do you have to buy for this Christmas? Have you finished all your shopping?

Let me know!

Life update

Hola my lovelies!
I'm feeling terrible right about now because a month ago I said I was going to write more and I haven't so time to fill you in on my life at the moment.

I'm nearly coming to the first half term of college, and I absolutely love it. I am studying media and find it so much better than sixth form and I'm so so so happy there. The people are pretty cool too.
So being at college 4 days a week and work 2 days a week leaves me Sundays to do all my college work (oops) and rest and do anything else and I'm exhausted bleh.

All this means I haven't really done anything to be blogging about if I'm honest!
Hopefully though I'll find some time to work out something to write about ;-)

That's all for now!
N xxx

Bonjour my lovelies!
So, this is probably going to be a bit long, as I intent to list all the books I've bought recently :-)


Firstly, my charity shop buys;
The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
Deception Point - Dan Brown
Digital Fortress - Dan Brown

bookshop buys;
Divergent - Veronica Roth
Insurgent - Veronica Roth
One Hundred Names - Cecelia Ahern
Soulmates - Holly Bourne
Geek Girl - Holly Smale
Looking For Alaska - John Green
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan
An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
Paper Towns - John Green (a kindle purchase)

OKAY
So, now that's done, the book that I'm going to review is Divergent by Veronica Roth.
The blurb reads:
 Sixteen-year-old Tris is forced to make a terrible choice. In a divided society where everyone must conform, Tris does not fit.
 So she ventures out alone, determined to discover where she truly belongs. Shocked by her brutal new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet, she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten her and protect her.
 The hardest choice lies ahead.

Basically, I really liked this book. I don't know why I liked it, I'm really struggling to put my finger on it. I find the start of the book really hard to get into, as I don't really think it introduces you to the way of life carried out by the charcters, but when I got into it, I couldn't stop reading it. I finished the first book (once i'd got into it) in two days.

The cost of my daily look.

Hola, my lovelies!

So, I've seen a few people posting the overall cost of their daily look, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon!

76.33

SO here we go:

No 7 Essentially Natural Foundation in Calico - £9.95

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder  in 001 Transparent- £3.99

MUA Mosaic Blush in English Rose - £2.50

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair - £3.69

Natural Collection Lash Length Mascara in Black - £1.99

Benefit They're Real! Mascara - £19.50

MUA Eyeliner in Black - £1

MUA Undress Me Too Eye Palette - £4

ELF Brush Set - £12

Superdrug Bronzing Brush - £2.99

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 113 - £5.49/ Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 16 - £5.49

Rimmel Exaggerate Lipliner in Eastend Snob - £3.99

Natural Collection Juicy Lips Gloss in Raspberry Ripple (yum) - £1.99

and finally Simple Face Wipes - £3.25

Factoring in only one of my lipsticks, my daily look cost is £76.33

(is that bad or good..? Ah?!)

What do you think? How much do you think your daily look would cost? Try this out, and leave a link to the post in my comments! :D

N xxx

book review anyone?

Hello my lovelies!

I thought I'd do a little kind of intro post to something I'm thinking of doing (I say this because if it's rubbish I'll probably scrap it lalala)
So, inspired by Looking for Alaska by John Green, I've decided to start a 'Life's Library'. Here's just some of what I've bought recently:

    (these bottom ones are from my fave charity shop)

Anyway, I've decided every week or so, I'm going to let you know what books I've bought, what I've started reading, and give you a review of one book - so let's see how it goes this week haha!

Have you bought any books recently? Got any you think I should read - leave me a comment and let me know!

N xxx

Extended leave!

Bonjourno lovelies!
Sorry that I have been away for so long!
There have been a lot of changes for me recently - I have only just bought myself a new computer, so I was uploading from my tablet before which was a bit awkward.
Secondly, I've been having terrible shifts at work and am so tired when I'm not working, I just can't find time to type!
Alongside this, I started at a new college this week so was more focused on that :-(
Hopefully though, I shall have some more posts up soon :-)

N xxx

So sorry!

Hello little birdies,
I know I haven't posted in over 2 weeks but I have been so busy!
I am in the process of starting a new course at college and working non-stop, and I now have my own computer (yay!).
Hopefully I shall have a lovely video for you some time soon.
N xxx

My top 5 picks from River Island this week.

It's only when I come to look at all these pieces together that I realize how bold they mostly are. 
So, working from left to right, we have the 'Blue Oriental Print 3/4 Sleeve Blazer' for £40. I can't even explain why I like this so much, I have no idea what I would wear it with, but I just think the print is gorgeous.
Secondly, we have the 'Blue Paisley Print Trousers' for £30. I don't really own any trousers apart from jeans, and I am always on the look out for some cool new trousers, and these really caught my eye.

Then there's the 'Black Dragon Sequin Embellished Sweatshirt" for £40. Recently I've started planning and thinking about the cooler weather, as we're mid august, and autumn is just round the corner, so I've been looking more into jumpers and longer skirts and I just thought this was awesome.
Next, the 'Grey Devore Beaded Peace Kimono' for £50. I know the kimono hype at the moment is massive, but I have always been obsessed with kimonos (remember Marty's from Grease?) so I've been wanting to invest in one, but I didn't just want to get one for the sake of it, but I really love peace symbols and ying and yang and all that hippy stuff so this one is right up my street!

Last but not least, the 'Blank Abstract Print Leotard Jumpsuit' for £25. I don't own any jumpsuits so they always draw my attention but this one I thought was a great print and a great price, and I thought would make a great investment at some point.

So thats it! What do you think? Are you liking any of these pieces? Or maybe you have your eye on some other River pieces? Let me know in the comments :-)

N xxx

Holidays!

Bonjour!
Today, I am in a very summery mood, as last night I booked a holiday! Yay!
I haven't been on holiday in a couple of years, and it's not until July next year, but I'm still super excited.

I am going to my favourite place in the whole world, a town called Side in Turkey where I've been on holiday 4 times in the past 6 years, and I adore it so much there, and where Sammi visited a month or two ago if I'm not mistaken, which was really weird to see one of my fave bloggers, posting pics in my fave place on IG.

So, that got me thinking about my favourite things about holidays.
My all time favourite smell is sun cream, as it reminds me of summer and sun, the beach, and happy memories. Honestly, if its mid-winter and you're feeling down about the weather, just grab a bottle of sun cream, and rub a bit on to your wrists, and it just smells like summer (I probably sound like a right nutter!)

I adore flying. I first flew abroad before the age of 18 months, so it's just something I've always done, and for some reason it really calms me, and I honestly find it so hard to comprehend how anyone can be scared of airplanes, they're the safest mode of transport!

Airports really excite me too. Like train stations, I get amazed by how many people gather in one place, like a pit stop on all their journeys, for business or pleasure, but this moment waiting at the station/airport can be shared with all these strangers around you.. and then they're gone. I get very fascinated by people.

Holiday shopping - who doesn't love a good shop, and that feeling of holiday shopping, when you don't let your self wear the really really nice dress until you've unpacked your suitcase at the other end just adds to the exciting anticipation.

I also like how confident we can be on holidays. Now, I'm a big girl, and I don't feel confident enough to wear bikinis on holiday, but even wearing a swimming costume on holiday is a big step for me, and I know a lot of other big girls who wear bikinis abroad and look gorgeous and really embrace their new found confidence. I love the fact that nobody judges you if your wearing the tightest bikini or budgie smugglers no matter how big or small you are, and I dont feel like we have that sense here on our beaches.

Trying the food is also a must. I'm a very much stick to what I know kind of person when it comes to food, but I always feel like I should go out of my way to try foreign cuisine and tend to really surprise myself and really love what I find. (This excludes that cheeky bowl of chips by the pool)

So there's what I really love about holidays - A bit long winded and I probably missed out a few, but there we have it. What do you love about holidays? Have you  got any booked, or just got back? Let me know in the comments!

N xxx

Skin Essentials!

Aloha!

I thought I'd start off with a post about some of my skin essentials because come on, we all think about skin care, even if we do not partake.
So, for my face, all I can say is simple. Literally, I just use Simple products.
I have massively sensitive skin, and Simple brand themselves as 'sensitive skin experts' so there really was no other choice.
My Simple product range currently consists of their 'Kind to Skin Moisturising Facial Wash' and their 'Kind to Skin' moisturisers - both the rich and light.
Now, I've had a lot of trouble with facial washes before, because I struggle with things that contain soaps and things, but this facial wash is 100% soap free which is literally a godsend for me.
I also like the fact its moisturising, as I don't feel as if I necessarily have to follow up application by moisturising, especially if I'm working early, I feel like using my facial wash is enough for the day and I'm happy, and I feel like it really does clean up my skin.
When I've stayed away from home for a few days or so, and come back and have had a breakout or something, I just get back into my routine and in a few days my skins dies down again, so I think  it's perfect.
However, I love following up with the moisturiser because I feel like my skin is so so sooooo lovely soft afterwards. I tend to use the rich moisturiser before bed and light in the day time
and I like that it doesn't feel heavy or gunky on my face, and if I get sweaty at work or anything I actually feel like it helps my skin so that is ah-mazing.

 Secondly, my body lotion must-have is Vaseline Essential Moisture.
This product is like my absolute favourite. I've tried so many different body lotions in the past, and I've never been able to find the right one. I find that a lot of body lotions and really oily or watery so it takes absolutely ages to get dry, or that they lack this feature, and i'm using like a quarter of a bottle for my legs or something silly. This moisturiser feel so soft and gentle on my skin, once again doesn't result in any irritation of my skin, I find it such a quick and easy product to use and at the end of the day I'm still feeling my skin and thinking, how is this so soft! It smells amazing too which is always a bonus and is definitely 5 star in my opinion.

Lastly, my fave hand cream is Soap and Glory's Hand Food. Now, I had always seen Soap and Glory products and was like "Oh, they look awesome"  but never bought any. However, a friend of mine got this for me last month for my birthday, along with another amazing body lotion from The Body Shop, and I'm in love with it. It smells absolutely delicious and leaves my hands feeling so smooth and soft. I like how when squeezed, the quantity of hand lotion that comes out is enough, but not too much, due the small hole, and I just can't stop using it!

So, there we have my skin essentials - what do you think? Have you experienced any of these products? What did you think? Let me know below!

N xxx

Weather changing essentials.

Hello my lovelies!
As our hot British weather fades away, I thought I'd write down my essential checklist for the ever-changing British weather, so here goes.

#1 - A Cardi.
With exception of the recent heatwave, temperatures here aren't usually massively high, so when you see big clouds looming overhead and the sun goes in, you start to regret your little vest top number, so keeping a lightweight cardigan on hand is always useful.

#2 - A Brolly.
Probably just ranking behind tea and the Royal Family, rain is what Britain is known for - it appears anywhere, anywhen (but especially when your hair looks pretty). That horrible grey and overcast look of the sky after entering a shop, particularly when it was bright blue skies when you walked in (and you weren't in there that long - honest) is horrible, but the blow is always softened when carrying a small umbrella.

#3 - Sun Cream.
As a pale ginger, I'm always extra cautious about the sun - factor 50+ for me - but we need to remember the sun can burn even when it's not hot. I know a girl who burnt in November with snow all around, so be careful!

#4 - Lip Balm.
Its too cold. This leads to chapped lips, a killer without balm. In summer, for some unknown reason, I have a seasonal habit of licking my lips, definitely a pain without balm, so keep some handy!

#5 - A Bottle of Water.
During summer months, I find it imperative to always carry water. I drink more than the recommended intake of water a day, so I struggle anyway being out without water, but especially when it's hot.
However, in autumn/winter months, I tend to forget a little about water because the heat dies down, but always end up with a dry throat so find it helps to keep even a tiny bottle of water in my bag.

#6 - A Pack of Tissues.
In winter, eyes and noses stream.
In summer, sweating and hayfever.
Both result in a new found friendship with trusty tissues.

Well, there we have it, my 6 essentials for changing weather. Let me know what you would add to the list!

N xxx

Howdy!

Just thought a little introduction was in order for my first post :-()

So hello, I'm Natalee, and I hope if you're reading this you're gonna stick around for a while! ahaha 

N xxx