ASOS - 30% of Cold Weather

ASOS SALE ALERT.
I feel it is my duty as a clothes hoarder to let people know when there are extreme sales on, especially sales on nessesary clothing. It's cold, this is a cold weather sale - I do not need to give you any more reason than that to justify why this is an amazing, vital sale. I picked a few of my favourites, (especially the boots!) for you to have a peek at.

| Asos Cable Pom Beanie - £10 - Now 8 |

| Asos Mixed Ribbon Knit Scarf - £22 - Now £15 |

| Asos Skull Stud Boyfriend Beanie - £12 - Now £10 |

| Mango Sequinned Knit Dress - £60 - Now £30 |

| Asos Curve Fur Hood Parka - £75 - Now £52.50 |

| Asos Midi Dress - £28 - Now £19.50 |

| London Rebel Side Buckle Boot - £60 - Now £36 |

| Asos Leather Look Leggings - £22 - Now £15 |

| New Look Wet Look Skater Skirt - £15 - Now £10

 

So..? What are you waiting for? Spend, spend, spend!

wordless wednesday.

lush - the christmas penguin

He does look slightly wonky & disfigured, but how cute is this little guy?!

 



 

What Lush Say;

 

P-P-P Pop in a Penguin! This fun bubble bar is modelled on Little Penguins found on Philip Island, Australia – they’re the smallest penguins in the world!

 

This is the first Christmas product I've tried from the new Lush range, and I'm really impressed!

I am so in love with this product, I got so many bubbles - just from using his head! (Evil, I know, but a girls gotta have her bubbles!) I should still be able to get another 2 baths out of this bar, which makes it seriously good value for money.

There is a slight lemon smell to this but it mostly reminds me of a calm, relaxing spa smell. It's a very fresh, clean scent and not too over-bearing. It sent my bath water a really nice blue (the colour of the penguin basically).

As with most bubble bars, you do have to crumble it properly under running water, otherwise you're left with big chunks floating around in your bath.

 

At £2.95 per bar, I think this is a really good buy, especially as you get at least 2/3 baths out of it! Although, I must say, breaking his head off to give myself some bubbles, was heart-breaking. Poor little penguin!

 

Have you tried this product?

 

- Charli, xo

a week of instagram #3

Baby Daisy | Oreos & Galaxy | Pub time |

Nephew | Boyfriend | Niece and Nephew

fragrance friday; katy perry - killer queen

I received a sample of Katy Perry's new fragrance, Killer Queen, in my October Glossybox, (probably the best thing in the box by far.) I actually already had a sample which I was sent with an order that I purchased from The Fragrance Shop, so now I have two samples, which I am very pleased about! 

This is Katy's third fragrance and though I haven't tried the other two, this is definitely a winner.

What The Perfume Shop say;

Killer Queen, a charmingly playful yet lethally gorgeous Floriental fragrance, opens with tempting dark berries and lush plum that blend into an opulent floral heart. The softness and grace of the heart is highlighted by the Royal Red Velvet flower that leads into an intoxicating background of precious woods and sensual musk.

I think the packaging is beautiful if I'm honest. I love the red and the gold and think it fits in with both 'killer' and 'queen' perfectly. At under £25, I think the packaging makes it look a hell of a lot more expensive. I do think that along with enjoying the scent, the bottle that a perfume is held in, makes all the difference and I genuinely think it helps decide on whether you fall in love with it or not.

If I'm being honest, I'm not particularly good at describing scents. But to me, it smells extremely sweet, (which is my kinda scent) dark & warm, if that makes any sense. It does not smell like 'precious woods' but does have a musky, fruity, slightly floral smell. It's a very strong scent and I think  some may find it a slither over-bearing, but I love scents like this, they're very me. The staying power also seems really good as when I first had a spray, I could still smell it the next morning.

The cheapest bottle I've found is online at; 

The Fragrance Shop - They have the 30ml, 50ml & also a gift set. This store has rapidly become my all time favourite go-to for perfume shopping. It's cheap, delivery is SO quick and you also get 2-3 samples with every purchase.

All in all, I am adoring Katy's new perfume and I will definitely be purchasing on pay day! 

november wishlist.

I haven't been able to treat myself to any new make-up this month, sad face :( but oh, have I got my eye on some goodies for November.

 

First up;

 

theBalm Cosmetics NUDE'tude Eyeshadow Palette

 

Oh my God, I have to have this. I just have to. Even though the colours are pretty similar to the Urban Decay Naked palettes, which I own both of, I just need it in my life. It has naked ladies on it, what else could you want from an eyeshadow palette?! I saw this on a favourite blog of mine Tattooed Tealady (check her out) and I fell in love as soon as I saw it. I've just got into wearing eyeshadow again now that it's Autumn so this would be the perfect treat to myself, don't you think?!

 

This is on Birchbox for £26, which I think is a pretty good price for a palette.

 

Next;

 

Revlon Colourstay Creme Gel Eyeliner

 

I recently saw this on a make-up tutorial done by Tanya Burr and I thought it'd be a good product to try. I never, ever get along with liquid eyeliner but sometimes a pencil just isn't good enough, so a GEL liner sounds like the perfect medium! I definitely want to purchase this as I've heard so many good things and I am in dire need of a good liner.

 

£8.99 - Boots - Bargain!

 

Lastly;

 

Too Faced Teddy Bear Hairproof Brush Set

 

I'm going to tell you a secret... I do not own a make-up brush set. LORD, I know. Please don't think bad of me, people. I did own a really nice N07 set which gradually got transferred into my mum's make-up bag, thanks mother! So I'm in need of a new set. I'm desperate for an angled shadow brush but only some sets actually include them. So, I stumbled across Too Faced. I've been hearing more and more good things about this brand recently, so I had a peek. The only downside is, what an expensive brand! I think this might have to be a Christmas present as these would set me back £38 in Boots. £40 for some make-up brushes?! I feel like I'm going to have to convince myself that these are worth it.

 

£38 - Boots

 

So there you have my 3 wishlist items, the first two will be definate purchases, the third is definitely a wish item that I think I'm gonna have to save up for!

 

Can anyone recommened a good, cheaper set of brushes?

 

- Charli, xo

wordless wednesday.

harmony moisturising smoothie serum.

I received this item in my October Glossybox, which I have to say, was sooo disappointing. So much so, I'm tempted to convert to Birchbox. Come on Glossybox, what are you playing at?!

Anyhoo, if I'm honest, I'm not a skin product person. I'd like to be.. I just don't know what/where/when/how/why or anything about skin products. So I thought I'd give this a go.

 

What Premae say;

Premae is the world's first allergen-free brand, meaning that anything they produce is more than kind to skin. This Serum is the ultimate skin saviour for combination skin: blended with grape seed, the unique formula helps to soothe redness and hydrate the skin before moisturising, whilst keeping it matt and shine free.

 

 

I trailed this product twice a day for a week, in the evening I used it before applying my Simple night moisturiser. Two pumps is a more than adequate amount. I read that it reduces shine and absorbs quickly, I disagree with both of those statements as I felt it made me more shiny, it did actually make my face feel really greasy in the evening and I also think it takes a loooong time to sink into your skin. On the other hand, when I put my make-up on in a morning after using it, I did feel that it made my foundation look more matt, which I love (I hate being shiny!).

 

It definitely hydrates your skin, maybe a little too much for my liking as it doesn't take my skin a lot to feel oily. I do agree that it reduces redness, I always have red blotches on my cheek areas and after the week I noticed a small improvement. I do need to point out that it doesn't smell particularly nice, it's quite a strong smell that I can't quite put my finger on, it's been bugging me!

 

At €27 for 50ml, a 20ml sample is pretty good going. Unfortunately I don't think I'll continue to use this product, for the pure fact it makes my skin a bit too oily, although I do recommened it as a primer and may occasionally pop it on before my foundation.

lush - world peice.

So the first Lush product I decided to use was a rather large bath bomb - World Peice. It's not a Christmas product, I didn't want to scare you with the C word straight away, but it is however, a new bomb.

 

 

Lush say;

 

Relax in an oasis of calm as your bath water turns a serene, azure-turquoise and the fresh, sweet scent of peppermint and uplifting tangerine oils envelop you. This is your very own Piece of peace, so take a moment to stop and think. Who will you make peace with?

 

I say;

 

I was actually really looking forward to trying this bomb out as I've never tried a mint bath product. I was pleasently surprised at how big the bomb was, which is always a plus! But apart from that, if I'm being brutally honest, it wasn't anything amazing. Granted, the colour was nice but eventually my bath just turned a boring green colour. It didn't even smell that minty. It also leaves a horrible pee coloured stain around the rim of your bath, ew!

 

 

(Kasper popped up to say hello!)

 

I won't be buying this bomb again, it was just a bit boring for Lush I think, I was disappointed. Hopefully the rest of my products will be better! Keep your eyes peeled for some Christmas goodies.

 

Have you ever used this bomb? What did you think?

 

- Charli, xo

 



a week of instagram #2

 

 

Kasper | Birthday Sister |  Feet

Donut | Beans on Toast | Kasper

Work | Sister | Lush



jingle bells.

Before you roll your eyes at me and slap the back of my hand, I am NOT celebrating Christmas just yet.. Let's get past Halloween first. But exciting things are happening. Two weeks ago Lush stocked up on all their Christmas products, and being the Lush hoarder that I am, I just had to have everything. Yes, everything.

 

I've brought quite a lot already and I plan on purchasing more on payday, (1 week 5 days, but who's counting?!). I don't think I've mentioned this on my little blog yet, but I have a serious addiction to Lush products. A serious, serious addiction. Who doesn't love bright green baths, the smell of strawberries and glittery bubbles? I cannot physically get my head round anyone that doesn't enjoy sitting in a Lush filled bath, for hours with a good book, until you step out looking like a raisen. What's going on with that?!

 

Anyway, this was just a quick post to let y'all know that over the next couple of months, probably until just after Xmas, you are going to be bombarded with Lush reviews. Probably one or two a week, I'll try to keep it at a minimum. Or not.

 

What's your favourite Lush product?!

 

- Charli, xo

trylle trilogy - amanda hocking

It's been a while since I did a book review so I thought I'd share with you one of my all time favourite series. 

The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking is a set of 3 books (I bet you'd of never guessed that) released last year.

It is aimed at young adults so if that's not your thing, or if you're after something more sophisticated then this probably isn't for you.

Switched

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers she is a changeling who was switched at birth. Now, she is about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that is both beautiful and frightening. 

Torn

Wendy knew her life would never be the same. Now she learns there is more to the story. She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers and marry an equally powerful royal. Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate.

Ascend

Wendy is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn't surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands.

Basically, the Trylle are trolls. Pretty, beautiful, talented trolls. 

Trolls, you say? Now, I know what you're thinking, a book about trolls, what a load of trollop, (see what I did there?) but trust me, if you're a fantasy lover, you will adore this. It's basically Twilight but without the vampires and 10x better (in my opinion). It's not a literary masterpiece, full of fancy words and hidden meanings. It's supposed to be fun, light reading and it had me laughing, crying & wanting more, from the beginning.

 Wendy is not just the main character, there are a couple of others that go by the names of Finn, Loki & Tove, (awesome names if I might mention). Now, I have an awful habit of falling in love with fictional characters and as soon as Loki came on the scene, Lord I was hooked. 

I'm not going to give anything else away as I think the blurbs say just enough and the joy of reading this series is all about discovering - along with Wendy - what the hell is going on. 

Overall, it's a brilliant series, one that I could read over and over and still get lost in their world every time.

10/10

wordless wednesday.

so pretty, oh so pretty.

Guys!

I have a beautiful new layout! & I am totally loving it.

After my friend Bicky (I could not have done it without her, she's a HTML goddess) told me that the girl who does her blog, was having a sale, I knew I had to invest. I'm not sure when the sale ends, but I'd go over and have a look here. 

I also finally have social media buttons! Hooray!

What do you think?

- Charli, xo

urban decay - naked nail varnish

Around the middle of May this year, I treated myself to the Urban Decay Naked Nails set from Debenhams. It is an online exclusive and was about £25, although though I've just looked and it seems to have gone down a little in price to £21. 

If I'm being honest, I hadn't really started wearing these till recently. The main reason being is that until a few months ago I wore falsies, which were always decorated in crazy colours (not by me) and also, when this set arrived in the post, I was pretty disappointed. Naively I expected normal sized bottles, but these aren't even half. They're tiny! So for £25, that was quite a disappointment. 

But now I have pretty, long(ish), REAL nails so I've been wearing these all the time! Instead of swatching them all, I took the easy root and did a bit of googling, (naughty naughty) and these swatches are pretty much dead on how they look on your nails. 

(From left to right; Naked, Sidecar, Toasted, Smog, Hustle, Creep)

(Creep isn't shown here)

My favourite towards the end of summer was 'toasted' which was very shimmery, if that's even a word. But now we're getting into the colder months, I've fallen in love with the 'hustle' colour. It's such a warm purple and goes with pretty much everything. The only colour I don't really wear is 'Creep', purely because it's a bit too dark for me, I feel like it's a colour I would wear more on my toes. They're pretty quick drying as well, which is always a bonus when you're a busy bee!

As much as I love the colours, I'd of preferred them to be in normal sized bottles as it's probably not going to take me long to use them all. 

What do you think? Have you tried these?

- Charli, xo

a week of instagram #1

This will be a weekly post every Sunday!

 | On the way to University | Jacket from Southwell | 36 days to go |

| Starbucks & Millions | Clockwork Prince & bubbles | Pup |

| Pup & scruffy | Daisy Faith Mason | Best friend & drinks |

fragrance friday.

fragrance friday; vera wang - princess night.

Hello there, pretties!

This is my first Fragrance Friday and oh, I have picked a beauty for you.

Vera Wang - Princess Night

This is the packaging, I no longer have mine as this is one of my oldies.

This is my beautiful, pretty much empty bottle.

This was a limited edition Vera Wang so I'm not sure whether it's still in the shops, my boyfriend brought me this for Valentines Day from Debenhams and it was pretty much gone after a month or so. But I kept the bottle because I think it's gorgeous! I'll be looking online soon to see whether I can find myself another bottle, I miss smelling this nice!

I've read that it is supposed to smell like flowers and woody tones. No. There is nothing wood-like about this. And I don't think it smells very flowery either. To me, it smells fruity and has a strong hint of vanilla. I'm a big lover of vanilla type smells, probably my favourite whiff! It's a very soft and sweet smell and the staying power is excellent, it lasts pretty much all day.

If sweet and sexy is your style then I'd opt for this, (if you can find it). I love the Vera Wang perfume range and this is my all time favourite.

I think it cost me (my boyfriend) around £30/£40 so not TOO expensive in the perfume world.

Have any of you tried this scent? Let me know!

- Charli, xo



wordless wednesday.

a fresh start.

I thought I'd take the time to share with you a few of the things that take up huge parts of my life.
 Insecurity. Confidence. Trust. Self belief.

The last few months have been pretty awful for me, mainly because of those 4 things, amongst a few others. Last week I felt like it was about time I turned this around and started concentrating on me, my life & what makes me happy.

In a nutshell, I am probably thee most insecure person you will ever come to know. Now, I am a firm believer that everyone has confidence issues, everyone doubts themselves occasionally but over the last 22 years I have convinced myself that I will never truly be good enough, for anyone or anything. When I was in my 'teens' I was your typical miserable, moody teenager. But it was more than that. I spent from being 15 up until I was about 18 constatly fighting to find a reason to wake up in the morning, to even get out of bed. Once you tell yourself there's no point in you being here, a certain amount of times, you start to believe it. I convinced myself of a number of things; no one could ever truly love me, there was something wrong with me. Why would anyone want to care for someone like me? Someone with so many non-existant problems and such a negative outlook on life.

Now, in reality, I had nothing to be so unhappy about. I have a wonderful family, granted I had few friends & school was a hell hole, but nothing particular had happened to cause me to feel this low. To this day, I still don't understand what started that whole phase of my life, but I've carried it with me & it still affects me now.

I do not see the good in people, only the bad. I constantly assume that people have an ulterior motive because why would they want to be involved in my life? What reason do they have to like me? I have the most wonderful partner, who goes out of his way each and every day to attempt to make me happy and in return I am miserable, I repeatedly put him down, I moan and bitch about things he doesn't do, that he doesn't love me. Never taking into account the things he does and the things he sacrifices every single day. Anyone else would of left a hell of a long time ago and yet he's still right by my side and now I realise, THAT is love.

I have a handful of friends that I would die for. I have so much love for the people around me, so much that I want to give, yet I constantly doubt them. They're not bothered about me, they'll walk away like people in the past have, they don't love me as much as I love them. All of this stems from being insecure, having no confidence, having no trust in people.

Trying to change your outlook on yourself and life, when you've spent pretty much 22 years putting yourself down, being put down & telling yourself your life has no meaning, is more than difficult. I've decided to tackle this challenge head on and last Monday was my first 'fresh start' day. It was my first day back at University, my first day back into eating properly and going to the gym, my first day back to enjoying myself, enjoying the company I have and realising how lucky I actually am.

Deep down, I know that I'm bat shit crazy and that's what makes me, me. But it's about time I held my head up high and started convicing myself that my life does have meaning, I am here for a reason & not everyone is out to watch me fall. I've wasted my whole life in a shell, from now I am free.

To the most important people in my world; I want to be a better me for you, but most of all, for me.  

maybelline baby lips & bourjois colour boost lip crayon.

Hello my little bloggers, :)

 

So, back in probably my only September post, I said I had a wish list for the month. I brought 2 out of the 3, mainly because the other one (the concealer) was out of stock.

 

I did manage to get hold of Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch and also Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Fuchsia Libre. I have a huge thing for lip products at the moment, I've started becoming more daring with what I wear and with brands that I buy from, as I'm usually a MAC lipstick hoarder. As you can see from my 'lip favourites' post.

 

 

Everyone was raving on about Maybelline Baby Lips so, like the sheep I am, I went and brought myself one. And I have to say, I bloody love it! I sometimes find on occasion that a lipstick can be too strong for everyday wear, so this seemed like the perfect answer. It's such a cute colour, just pale enough for me, too pale and I'd probably look like a washed out fool. It feels A-MAZING on my lips but I wouldn't go as far as to say it moisturises them and I don't actually have to re-apply all that much, though I thought I would. It also smells beautiful which is a bonus. I'll definitely be going out and purchasing some of the other colours in this brand and at £2.99 I definitely recommend it!

 

I also went out and brought Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon and after about 10 minutes of deciding on a colour, went with Fuchsia Libre. I hesitated because it looks very bright and in all fairness, it is rather vibrant, but I've had a few compliments already and I've only worn it once. It's not usually a colour I'd go for, but I just thought 'why not?!'

It stains your lips, so whether you like that kind of lip wear will determine whether you think that's a good characteristic or not. I happen to quite like the stain as it means you don't have to re-apply constantly. On the other hand, it does wear off quite quickly towards the inner part of your lips. Round the edge stays on for aaaages, but obviously from talking/eating/drinking, the inner part wears off quite quick. Brilliant easy application, which is good for people (like me) who aren't as brilliant at staying in the lips when applying lip products. At £7.99 it's cheaper than my usual MAC splurge, so again I'd recommend this product.

 

Both products are now firmly in my make-up case & I think I'll be purchasing more colours, (you can never have too many lip products).

 

Has anyone else tried these beauties? What did you think to them?

 

- Charli, xo

daisy mason.

I thought I'd take the time this evening to tell you some amazing news.

On Tuesday morning, at 5:20am, one of my very best friends, Sami, gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl I have ever laid eyes on. We've been waiting for her for a long time, 9 months to be exact ;) & receiving a picture message at 6am, Tuesday morning, sitting in bed crying (with soppy happiness) has made me feel awesome. Tonight I had the honour of meeting my tiny new 'niece'. 

(Please excuse the mess I'm in, I've been at work!)

At 6lbs, she is absolutely tiny & I was so frightened of doing something wrong! 

I realise these aren't the best pictures but I was so desperate to share them with everyone, I had to work with what I had. 

She is the most beautiful creature I have ever had the honour of knowing and from now she will be a huge part of my life. I will protect her from the world and everything in it. 

Sami, I know you'll read this, so I just want to say;

I have never been more proud, she is perfect. I am so unbelievably happy for you and for Mason, Daisy could not ask for a better mother or a better father. I know you will be the most perfect little family & I'm so excited to be a part of both of your lives and watch her grow up.

I will be adding more of these posts as she grows and grows as I want to share this experience with you all.

Daisy Mason - you are our little angel.

- Charli, xo

what's in my bag? - lip wear.

I'm going through a phase at the moment, of wanting every lip product.

I've said before that up until recently I have been a MAC lipstick worshipper - and I still am, but my horizons have broadened, thanks to the world of YouTube and blogging!

 

Being new to the beauty realm, I haven't really tried many of the 'drugstore' brands such as Maybelline, Max Factor or Revlon, but recent purchases have caused me to become even more intrigued and addicted to this new world of make-up.

 

 

From left to right, currently in my bag;

 

MAC - Snob

MAC - £14.99

 

Oh Lord, I love this colour. In fact, I'm almost out so I must go and buy some more. This was one of my first MAC purchases and I have adored it ever since. For me, it's quite a bright pink, even though it's pale, if that makes any sense whatsoever? It stays on pretty much all day, with only a couple of re-applications. It's perfect for a day at work, a day at University but also for nights out. I pretty much wear this all the time. It also smells incredible.

MAC - Russian Red

MAC - £14.99
 

I am a serious newbie to red lipsticks. I'd normally never dare to attempt to wear a lipstick this dark, which it is dark, compared to other MAC reds, I'd say it's one of the darkest. But I had nothing to lose, other than £14.99, so I went for it. And I'm glad I did! It goes on lovely, it smells lovely, but I do find myself re-applying constantly, as because it's so dark, it's very easy to see when it starts to fade. I sometimes find that this particular lipstick feels very thick on my lips, like I'm wearing a lot when really I've only applied a thin layer. Still one of my favourite purchases.

MAC - Viva La Glam - Lady Gaga
MAC - £14.99

This lipstick smells beautiful. I haven't been wearing it as much lately as I keep going for the more vibrant colours, but it's still a firm favourite in my bag. It's very nude and when I'm too pale it does make me look really pale, but once I've got myself a bit of a tan, it looks acceptable.
 

Maybelline Baby Lips - Pink Punch

Tesco - £2.99

 

I'm also reviewing this in another post, so keep your eyes peeled. Lovely soft colour, just right for a casual day at the office and everyday wear. I will definitely be purchasing other colours.

 

(Another product that isn't in the picture as I've stupidly lost it :( is) -

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon - Fuchsia Libre

Boots - £7.99
 

I am actually currently reviewing this as you'll soon see, but this is now a must have in my bag. It's bright, it stains your lips meaning few re-applications & I assumed it would feel lip a lipstick crayon, whereas it goes on feeling glossy & dries feeling as if you have nothing on. Love it.

 

And there you have it, my 5 favourite lip products at the moment. I'd love to know what products you guys have been testing, I'm always looking for new lip wear!

 

What's your favourite?

 

- Charli, xo

wordless wednesday.