Birchbox Delivery #3

Morning noggins;

Today we have the January Birchbox. Birchbox is my favourite beauty box by a mile and I've never been disappointed. This month we have a 'Tiny Tweaks' theme and is all about making your big resolutions into smaller bite size ones. I adore the Tiny Tweaks booklet that you get that has 30 little suggestions to start your year off with motivation. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Philip Kingsley - Elasticizer | £27.50
A hair saviour. This mask strengthens, nourishes and prevents breakages. Work through damp hair. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then shampoo and condition.

I'm quite interested to try this. After doing a bit more reading, apparently hair is supposed to stretch? Did not know that! My hair breaks reaaaally easily, so I'm looking forward to seeing if this makes a difference. The only problem is, you have to leave it on for 20 minutes, BEFORE you wash your hair. Weird, huh? What am I supposed to do for 20 minutes?

Benefit - The POREfessional | £24.50
An award-winning primer that magically erases pores and leaves skin velvety. Smooth the lightweight formula over the skin after moisturiser, then blend with fingertips.

Oh my God. I love it. I knew I was getting this in my box, I'm pretty certain everyone got it. And I've wanted to try it for so long but as my Benefit addiction has grown, my bank balance has reduced greatly. I only use this when I'm going somewhere nice as I don't want to use it up too quick! It glides onto your skin like silk, it makes my skin look and feel amazing and when my skin is in good condition I think I could get away with using just this and no foundation. LOVE IT.

Vasanti - Detox Nutrient-Rich Purifying Facial Cleanser | £18.00
Wash away toxins (not to mention every last trace of foundation) with this fresh cleanser. Smooth foam over damp face and lather. Rinse carefully and pat dry.

Well, I've been wanting to try a new cleanser for a while now so this has come at the right time. It's a tiny bottle so I'm not sure if there's enough to actually see a difference? Unless it's THAT good?

Lavera - Basis Sensitive Hand Cream | £4.45
Organic Shea butter and almond oil protects and moisturises parched winter hands. Rub into hands whenever they're in need of nourishment.

What is it with beauty boxes and hand creams? I must of had about 4 now. My hands are not dry guys, my hands are in pretty good condition! This will probably sit in my drawer till it's past it's use by date, although it does smell pretty nice.

Premae - Anatomy Nutrients Instant Renewal Body Oil | £9.50
Moisturise, tone and detoxify skin with this natural, allergy-tested body oil. Apply to clean skin after a bath or a shower to nourish and rehydrate. 

I keep meaning to use this. I take it into the bathroom every time I have a bath, get out, dry myself and slap my PJ's on, completely forgetting it's there. Body oils are all the rave at the moment, so I will eventually get around to using this!

ITSU - Miso Soup | £2.25 (for 3 sachets)
A light, healthy - and tasty! - soup packed full of antioxidants and amino acids. Squeeze the paste into a mug, add hot water and stir.

I actually really like that they've thrown something different into the box, it's just a shame I got the vegetarian version. Gimme the meat! I'm not into trying new foods but I think I'm going to force myself to try this, what harm could it do? Apart from taste vile...

All in all, I really like this box. Maybe that's why I don't like my Glossy's so much? Who knows. Now I'm waiting for next months pretties, hoping they do some sort of Valentines theme! 

What did you get in your boxes guys? I'd love to know!

- Charli, xo

Favourite Folk - January Edition

Ayup pancakes!

It's that time of month, I actually love doing this post! January has been a seriously slow (and cold) month, pay day where are you?! So to pass the time I have followed so many blogs this month, that it's been seriously difficult to pick my favourites! I've only picked 4, because otherwise I'd of been rambling forever and none of us want or need that. This will be a monthly feature from now on, I'm pretty sure I kept missing months last year, but I will make an effort now! 

rubylions

I found this pretty lady after she began following me on Twitter. I nipped on to her blog to have a quick peak and ended up on there for about an hour. Her blog is real easy-reading, which is good for someone with a short attention span, (not me, okay me) and I love the way she writes! She also ALWAYS has literally beautiful nails. Being a nail varnish addict, this is NOT good for me seeing as I just want to buy every single nail varnish she uses. You seriously need to check this girl out.

The Unreal Life

Bit of a lifestyle blog for you here. This girl is hilarious. I love her recent post 'Blogging Bites' where she talks about the times when her writing has gotten her into trouble. I have yet to experience this, but I'm sure I will once more people are reading my babble! Autumn (what a name, swooooon) seems so down to Earth and I look forward to her quirky little posts!

Sian Marie

She's back again guys. Our Sian is probably going to be featured on every Favourite Folk edition because I just love her so much. She'll text me saying 'DONE A NEW POST' but won't tell me what it is, or what it's about, or when she's gonna post it. This leads me to constantly refreshing Bloglovin' cause I'm just so desperate to see what she's typed about. I can see her little space on the internet turning into quite a large space! CHECK HER OUT. Oh, she's also my BFF.

LLYMRS

Lily Melrose. Definitely fancy this lady. She has two blogs, but this is her fashion based one. I've also subscribed to her YouTube channel, you can do that HERE. I'm not going to lie to you, I definitely did go and buy a shed load of stuff from New Look after I'd watched her New Look Haul video. The fact that she's just posted a TopShop Haul video, is ruining me. I adore her style and seeing how gorgeous she looks in bloody everything, makes me want to get up and make myself look presentable, rather than fannying round Uni in a hoody and leggings. One downside; she's too damn pretty.

Do you recommend any blogs?

- Charli, xo

A Lush Review - Prince Charming

Aloha;

 

I don't think I've reviewed anything from Lush that isn't a bath bomb or a bubble bar. Well, what do we have here? A shower gel, you say? A Valentine's special, you say? Yeah, I say. IT'S NEARLY VALENTINES DAY. Not that I'm excited. I'm only going to London for the weekend, after all. Anyway, that's an entirely different post. Babble, babble, babble.

 

What do Lush say?

 

Originally inspired by the Adam and the Ants classic, ‘Prince Charming’, this shower gel has transformed along the way and now it reminds us of the kind of Prince Charming you’d find in a fairy tale...it’s bold and courageous, absolutely gorgeous, and it smells incredible.

 

 

So this is a cute little shower gel from the new Valentines range. As soon as I saw this online, I was like, YOINK. Oh, how I wish I had saved my pennies. I assumed, stupidly maybe, that this pink pretty would smell similar to Snow Fairy. ALAS, it does not. Well, actually it does a teeny bit, but with a twang. I also thought it would smell like marshmallow, like the Mallow Melt. ALAS, it does not. I really don't like the smell of this and I'm so, so gutted. I desperately wanted a nice new Lush shower gel to make myself smell irresistible. Instead I smell like sickly, sugary, tootoo sweet bleughness. Made up a new word for you there. Other than the smell, it does what it says on the tin (bottle). The colour is lovely and it makes my skin feel soft as a baby's bottom. I just can't stand the smell.

 

At £4.65 for a 100ml bottle, I guess it's an average price for Lush. But I won't be purchasing again!

 

Have you tried Prince Charming? What did you think?

 

- Charli, xo

Vivienne Westwood - Oh my!

Morning humans;

 

Can we just, take a moment, to indulge in the beauty of what is below. Words cannot describe. 

 

This is a slight belated post, as I got this pretty off my Bear for Christmas (he's a definite keeper) and I haven't had time to sit and take some decent photos, until now. Just look at it. It has 4 separate compartments, one with a zip, 12 card holder slips which Lord knows I need with all my junk cards. I love whipping this out when I'm paying to get on the bus and I'm like, '£2.50? Oo, let me just check my change, IN MY VIVIENNE WESTWOOD PURSE.' I love to casually flash this around.

I'm not actually a big brand person, I refuse to spend money on something just for the name - however, if someone else wants to splurge on me, then who am I to stop them?!

Anyway, this was just a quick post, to well, basically brag :)

 

What's been your biggest splurge over the years?

 

- Charli, xo

Glossybox - January

Gooooood morning;

Here we have, January's Glossybox. I waited (not-so) patiently all month for this. I hurried home after Uni on Tuesday to find it sitting on the steps looking all perfect in it's little box, I quickly ripped it open, took a peek inside and... MEH. BLOODY MEH. Vaseline?! Seriously Glossybox? Bloody Vaseline?! Cheese and rice, what a shit box, in my opinion anyway. Excuse the French.

Okay, so what exactly do we have?

Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream - This multi-use cult moisturising cream from Japan revamps your skin, enriching it with vitamin E, vitamin B2, camphor and uniquely high glycerin content. It is essential for all skin care regimes.

I'd love to know why I needed two of these? Surely they could of replaced one of these for something different and better? I'll probably use this, it seems like it'll do my skin some good.

Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash - With a blend of juniper, bergamot, geranium and lavender essential oils, Balance Me's Super Toning Body Wash is the best way to start your day!

So it looks like you can use this in the shower or add a capful into your bath. Quite interested in using this, I quite like the smell, although I can't describe it. I'm not sure what 'toning' is meant to me though, maybe I'll use this on my bum and see if it tones it up so I can give up doing squats everyday.. A girl can dream, right?

The Vintage Cosmetic Company Floral Slanted Tweezers - Get rid of boring brows with these pretty floral tweezers by The Vintage Cosmetic Company. These high quality, stainless steel must-haves are the perfect accompaniment for every vintage doll's make-up bag.

Okay, so I actually got quite excited about these. I love pretty, patterned tweezers and these are just to die for. Not literally. I've actually lost my good FCUK tweezers so these have come at the perfect time!

Anatomicals Puffy The Eye Bag Slayer Wake-Up Under Eye Patches - Looking like the walking dead? These under eye patches by Anatomicals will help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and revitalise the delicate skin around your eyes.

I'm 22. I do not have wrinkles. Don't tell me I have wrinkles, it is not a war you want to start! However, I do have big, black bags from lack of sleep lately, so maybe I should give these a whirl? You're supposed to leave it on for 30 minutes. I cannot sit still for that long, so this is definitely a job for bath time.

Vaseline Essential Moisture Lotion - Is your skin weathering the elements? If so, then you need the Essential Moisture Lotion from Vaseline. It's non-greasy formulation and multi-layer complex absorbs quickly leaving your skin silky smooth and looking healthy.

Ugh, Vaseline. I feel so let down Glossybox! I know some of you will be virtually screaming at me that Vaseline is a gift from above and I agree, it's an ALRIGHT product, but do I really want to see it in my Glossybox? No. I'm not a lover of Vaseline tbh, but I'm going to give the product a go, just to use it up.

Well, Glossybox. I have not enjoyed my January box! I have not enjoyed the majority of my last few boxes! I'm seriously considering cancelling my subscription and finding another beauty box to delve into. What do you guys think? Do you have any recommendations? I'm already a Birchbox subscriber!

- Charli, xo

A Lush Review - The Comforter

Ello pretties;

 

Today we have a little Lush review! I keep meaning to do more of these, but I get too excited about using the products and forget to take pictures - and I feel like I'm cheating if I steal the photos from the website! This is 'The Comforter' and it is one of my favourite Lush products.

Look at me trying to be all artistic with my little candles.

 

What do Lush say?

 

This bar is supersized, so you’ll only need to crumble half a bar under your tap to make enough fruity bubbles for a long, comforting soak. Cassis Absolute gives The Comforter its distinctive blackcurrant fragrance, while bergamot adds an uplifting note and calming cypress oil brings a fresh, earthy base note.

 

I'm not a massive fan of the bubble bars and I have no idea why because I love bubbles. Maybe it's because you have to sit there and hold it under the tap, (well you don't, but I find that gives you the most bubbles) whereas with a bomb you can just chuck it in and watch it disappear. However, I do love this. It smells amazing. Sweet so sweet. With a blackcurrant hint. It smells like candy to me, which let's not lie, is what we all want in our baths. I actually got a HUGE one of these in the Lush box that Bear brought me for Christmas, which has all gone because he used it. Yes, I'm giving you dead eye, Bear. You get at least two baths out of one this size and if you like pink water, this is the one for you.

 

Anyway, at £4.50 this is quite steep, but it is bigger than the other bubble bars!

 

Have you tried The Comforter?

 

- Charli, xo



The Liebster Awards

Hello there sweetums;

My good friend over at Sian-Marie's Beauty Blog nominated me to take part in The Liebster Awards. I've done one like this before, The Sunshine Awards and really enjoyed it, so here we go again, get comfy this is a long one.

The Rules

1) Mention the blogger who nominated you and link their blog in your post - done this above!

2) Answer the 11 questions set by the blogger who nominated you.

3) Nominate 11 bloggers of your choice whom have a small following at the moment but lots of potential for the future.

4) Include 11 questions for the bloggers you have nominated. 

The Questions

1) What made you start blogging?

I've attempted this three times now, this blog being my longest stretch by faaaar. I started because the beautiful lady who nominated me to do this, inspired me and we now help each other out with our blogs.

2) What is your biggest achievement?

Uhm, in all honesty, I don't think I've achieved much. My biggest achievement WILL be finishing my degree in May :) 

3) Favourite song?

Hmm, this is a hard one. I'm a mjor One Direction fan *loses followers* but I wouldn't class any of their songs as my favourite. For now, I'm going to go with Taylor Swift - Enchanted as it's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever listened to. 

4) Milk, dark or white chocolate.

Milk. Dark is eugh.

5) What is your favourite palette?

I have the Naked one and two palettes and at the moment I can't stop using either of them, so I'm going to pick them both! Although there are a few pretties that I'm lusting after currently!

6) Have you still kept your New Years Resolutions?

I didn't make many of these tbh! Two of them were eat more and blog more and I'm happy to say I've been doing both! The other's are more big goals that I want to achieve this year such as passing my driving test and getting a car! So fingers crossed :) 

7) Biggest fear?

My biggest fear is never being good enough. I battle with this daily and I've also written a couple of posts on this kind of topic. It's not a nice thing to live with.

8) What is your favourite part of your make-up routine?

This may sound weird.. But I love putting foundation on! This has been made even better by Benefits POREfessional that I've recently trialed. I love seeing my face go from ew, to not so bad in a few minutes after putting a layer (or seven) of foundation on. Am I weird? Probably. 

9) Favourite colour?

Black. Goff.

10) Black or brown mascara?

Black alllll the way.

11) What is your favourite blog to read?

At the moment I have three - Lily Melrose, our Sian and Bicky over at Tastes Like Glitter.

Who am I tagging?

rubylions

chocolateandblueberries

fromroses

I realise there is only 3, but I don't know many new blogs at the moment!

The Questions

1) What is your favourite make-up brand?

2) What is your favourite place to be?

3) What does your future hold?

4) What is your favourite dessert?

5) What is your favourite book?

6) What is your favourite blog?

7) How would you spend your last day?

8) Is there anywhere you'd like to go?

9) Favourite item of make-up?

10) What is your definition of life?

11) Biggest fear?

Just because I haven't tagged you, doesn't mean you can't take part! If you decide to have a go, please let me know in the comments below! I'd love to know your answers to my questions!

- Charli, xo

Book Club - The Thirteenth Tale

Good morning!

I recently finished The Thirteenth Tale, which started out as not seeming that good, to me not being able to put it down. I'm pretty sure I sat in the bath for almost 2 hours because I was desperate to finish the story. However, as amazing as it is, I'm finding it extremely hard to explain.

'Vida Winter, a best-selling yet reclusive novelist, has created many outlandish histories for herself, all of them an invention. Now old and ailing, at last she wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. Her letter to biographer Margaret Lea - a woman with secrets of her own - is a summons. 

Vida's tale is one of Gothic strangeness featuring the Angelfield family; the beautiful and wilful Isabelle and the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline. Margaret succumbs to the powers of Vida's storytelling, but as a biographer she deals in fact not fiction and she doesn't trust Vida's account. 

As she begins her researches, two parallel stories unfold. Join Margaret as she begins her journey to the truth - hers, as well as Vida's.'

This description dragged me as soon as I read it when I was wandering dangerously round Waterstones one afternoon. I love a good Gothic/Jane Eyre genre and this sounded especially strange. When I find myself trying to summarise the plot, I seem to get myself getting very confused. There are so many different layers to the story that it really is impossible to give you an accurate description. There are also a few moments in the story that I don't quite understand myself, so how am I supposed to portray it to you!

Basically; the theme of the story is twins, Adeline and Emmeline. A dysfunctional, misunderstood family in an isolated mansion who are flawed, but full of life. Vida Winter's story literally pulled me in from the first line. But she's known for her storytelling so the whole way through the book, you're constantly doubting her. Is she telling the truth? 

Margaret Lea soon finds herself falling into the story of Miss Winter; with secrets of her own and eventually finding closure. 

And then, when you think you have it all figured out.. No you don't. Wham, bang, thank you ma'am, nobody saw that coming! I love the twist at the end, even if I don't fully understand it. The way the book is written is very clever and it does require you to think about what's happening. It's not an easy read, so if that's what you're looking for, this isn't for you. 

I actually had to wait a week or so before I started another book because I just couldn't get these characters out of my head. I clearly got a little too involved. But isn't that what is great about a book? I definitely recommend this book to someone who wants a thought-provoking read and wants to find themselves really falling into the story. 

Have you read this?

- Charli, xo

Sanctuary Spa - Resureface & Refine Ultra Polish

Good morning, my little spring onions;

Today I want to review something that I received in my December Glossybox, that hasn't left my shower room since I opened it. 

Sanctuary Spa Resurface & Refine Ulta Polish

Sanctuary Spa say;

'Many women suffer from micro-bumps or a 'chicken-skin' texture - especially on the backs of the arms and the thighs. This Resurface & Refine Ultra Polish uses particals up to 5 times smaller than a normal scrub, this is what makes it so effective at exfoliating and leaving the skin feeling smoother and with a radiant glow.'

Yes! Chicken skin! I literally thought I was the only person in the world that had this. I was like, what are these annoying little lumps on the backs of my arms? Who gets spotty arms?! And I also have them on my thighs. They're not noticable to the eye, but I can certainly feel them when I'm giving my arms and legs a little caress, as you do. Apparently 89% of women saw a reduction in their micro-bumps and I'm definitely joining the hype!

It's like... An invisible scrub. You know those scrubs with the big, black balls (excuse me?!)? Well this is practically invisible. And it works, like a dream. I used it on the back of my arms, got out the shower and they were literally gone. Of course, a few days later they were back but I did notice they didn't feel as bad as before. When payday comes around, I'll be popping out to buy the proper size as this is just a sample. 

I'd heard of Sanctuary, but, dare I say it, I thought it was one of those brands you give people at Christmas when either you don't know what to get them, or you don't like them enough to get them something awesome. But my mind has been changed, I'm hoping Glossybox or Birchbox send me some different samples of the brand so I can give them a go! Lesson learnt, never judge a book by it's cover. 

Sanctuary Spa Resurface & Refine Ultra Polish - £12 at Boots

Have you tried any products by this brand?

- Charli, xo

My Life in Profile Pictures

Hello my sweetums;

Boy, have I got a treat for you today. I was reading Miss Budget Beauty about an hour ago and saw her 'My Life in Profile Pictures' post. Now I rarely, if ever, post pictures of myself as I don't think you need to see my fugly mug. ALAS. Now you have 60 shots of me! I do use FB - Not as much as I used to and so I've just gone through and here are almost all of them, I couldn't fit every single one on. You have a mixture of selfies, drunk nights out, me and the bear and me and some friends. The fit blonde girl that pops up in a few is no other than Sian-Marie as we've been friends forever. 

Anyway - I hope you enjoy this little beast! I thought it would be a nice change to the usual blah :) 

I tag; Sian, Bicky & Claire

If you decide to take part, let me know in the comments! I'd love to see your faces!

- Charli, xo

The Week #3

Special K | MAC Lip Palette | Heinz | Muddy | Joules | K | Sanctuary

This week has been pretty rubbish. I was seriously ill over the weekend, I didn't move out of my bed for over 48 hours. When I say I was in bed, I mean; no TV, no speaking, just literally lying in silence because I could move. So I don't have anything exciting to tell you! Except that I got very muddy on a 3 mile dog walk at Brack (Uni) on Tuesday!

- Charli, xo

A Lush Review - Pheonix Rising

Ello poppets;

For Christmas every year, the bear gets me a hoooooge Lush box and I'm always the most excited about it. This year was no different, please don't ask me which particular box I got because I cannot for the life of me remember what it's called; soz. Anyway, the first bomb I used was Pheonix Rising.

(I didn't take this picture!)

So I've never tried this bomb before and I'm quite impressed. Firstly, I love the look of this. It looks so pretty and I can't even think of any good adjectives cause, well I'm pantz. Anyway, as you can probably guess, it turns your bath a beautiful purple with a few mint coloured swirls towards the end which was a nice surprise :) 

It does smell pretty wonderful also, it smells very strongly of cinnamon which I usually don't like, but with a mix of fresh apple, I did actually enjoy the scent. I didn't feel like it moisturized my skin, but that's okay because those kinds of bath bombs make me feel all slimey and MERRR in the bath. This is definitely a bath bomb for those winter nights, in a steaming hot bath, just closing your eyes and thinking about One Direction, I mean.. Thinking about nothing.

I'm not sure if I'll re-purchase this again, but it's not a bad price at £3.25!

Have you tried Pheonix Rising? What did you think?

- Charli, xo

Seventeen Nail Stash

Hello poppets;

 

Seventeen is a make-up brand that is quickly making a name for itself. It's sold in most drug-stores now and I have to say, I'm slowly falling in love with it. It's cheap and it's good quality stuff. So, you can imagine how chuffed I was when I opened up this little beauty on Christmas Day! Clearly people have noticed my nail varnish addiction as this wasn't my only polish set. You are not helping people! Keep 'em coming ;)

 

So the set contains 9 mini nail polishes in a variety of colours (there seems to be no particular theme). Included is 1 Lasting Fix polish, 5 Quicker Slicker polishes and 3 Supreme Shine polishes. Two coats of each colour have been used in the pictures and I'll apologise now for the rubbish quality, for some reason the lens just wouldn't focus on the left side.

 

Here we have Pretty in Pink (DEFINITELY NOT PINK)- this is the only Lasting Fix Polish in the set and is the first one I tried on my own nails. It dries too patchy for my liking. The other two seen here are 'Love' and 'Wickid' and are Supreme Shine polishes. The pigmentation of 'Wickid' is lovely and definitely one of my favourites.

 



 'Risky Red' also a Supreme Shine polish, I haven't used this one and I doubt I will. It's a bit TOO red for me but the quality of the colour is one of the best of the bunch. 'Navy Glint' and 'Peacock' are both Quicker Slicker polishes and I'm currently wearing both of these on my toenails. Navy Glint is a bit patchy and needs more coats but 'Peacock' is my favourite of the whole set. It's bright, it only needs two coats and it stands out above the rest.

 

'Fury', 'Moonstruck' and 'Ruby Gem' are all Quicker Slicker polishes and I quite like all three of these. The metallics are well pigmented and have a nice finish and 'Ruby Gem' is a strong fuchsia that would look lovely for a special occasion.

 

My only problem with this set is that as they are minis, it seems really hard to actually get any polish onto the brush without screwing the lid back on and then off again, which is not what a girl needs when she's making herself look sassy, is it? On the whole, this is a cute little set and I'll definitely get use out of almost all of the colours.

 

Seventeen Stash Set - Currently on sale for £6 HERE

Now if that ain't a bargain, I don't know what is.

 

Did any of you ladies receive this in your stockings?

What did you think?

 

- Charli, xo





Yves Rocher Hand Cream

Hello my little sugar-nuggets;

 

I got this little pretty in my November Glossybox (probably the only good thing) and I may have slightly fallen in love with it. Mate, it smells amazing. I want to bathe in it, it smells that good. BFF got the chocolate orange one and I was well chuffed that I got this one instead, (I hate Terry's bastard oranges) and this now has a firm place in my handbag. This is the first product I've tried from Yves Rocher and I look forward to trying others!

 

What do Yves Rocher say?

 

A moment of pure pleasure in the heart of winter, this hand cream quickly penetrates and moisturises your skin. Deliciously scented with accords of cocoa and raspberry, your skin feels supremely soft.

 

Well I totally agree with that, it does actually remind me of winter, I think it's the cocoa. Everyone loves a bit of cocoa, right? Anyhoo, it doesn't take forever to soak in which I HAAAAATE in moisturisers and this leaves my hands smelling like awesome. How is it this cheap?! Bargain, I'm telling you, go and get it! They also do this in the yukky cocoa orange flavour and cocoa and pistachio. I'll definitely be re-purchasing this when it runs out. A winter must have!

Yves Rocher - £1.95

 

Have you tried any products from Yves Rocher?

 

- Charli, xo



Benefit - Do The Bright Thing

I just want to say; OH MY GOD. OH. OH. OH. LOOK AT IT. IT'S SO SHINY. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. LOOK. JUST LOOK AT IT. IT HAS A MIRROR.
This was my reaction when I opened this a few days before Christmas. Every year a few friends and I get to together, cook a big Christmas dinner (my job is to eat as they cook, which I get shouted at for every single year) and give out presents. Now I was expecting the usual; books, Lush boxes and other smellies, chocolate and winewinewine - oh, oh how delighted was I when I opened this bad boy? I literally did a wee in my pants. Literally. Clearly shows that my friends know me preeeeetty well. Anyway;

Benefit - Do the Bright Thing - £26.50 HERE

So this is a total face kit really, which is awesome. And not bad for the price me thinks. Here's what it includes;

"That Gal" Brightening Face Primer - 7.5ml

I didn't even realise Benefit had more than one primer, I've only ever seen the Porefessional (not even sure if that's spelt right) one so this was a nice little surprise. Uhm, it's pink? I used this on Christmas Day, I don't usually use primers but thought I'd have a bash and I wasn't too keen on it. My skin was awful that day so I will give this another go the next time I have a night out!

Dandelion Brightening Blusher - 3g

Ooo I really like this! I currently use Rockateur which I lovelovelove, but when I saw this little cutie I thought, ooerrr! It reminds me of ballerinas. I like light blushers as I'm quite fair skinned (WAAAAA) so darker ones look a bit shitty. Looking forward to using this! And it comes with a brush which is always a plus.

High Beam Luminescent Complexion Enhancer - 4g

I have never, ever used a highlighter, I don't even know what it's supposed to do. From what I can gather, a few dabs under your eye/along your cheekbones is supposed to make you look mint? I dunno. I might have dabble with this before my next night out. It looks like it might last a while seeing as you only need a few spots!

BADgal Liner Waterproof Extra Black - 0.5g

Ooft I'm always up for a bit of eyeliner. This looks, SUPER BLACK on the pencil, I haven't tried it yet because it just looks so pretty and I hate starting new eyeliners and ruining them :( Again, I think I'll save using this for a nice occasion seeing as it's rare that I actually get to use Benefit!

'They're real!' Beyond Mascara - 3g

Oh boy, was I happy to see this in the set. I've been hankering over this for months now and me and my BFF Sian are having a Benefit make-over in January in our local Debenhams and I was planning on purchasing this, but I've never actually tried it so I'm super super happy that I've got a little sample! I have used this and I have to say, I was impressed. I love the brush and I love that my eyelashes don't clump either! Thumbs up!

Okay so, there's a little blab about each, I'm really looking forward to giving these a proper try when I have the opportunity. I think one of my resolutions should be to experiment with make-up a bit more, cause I'm pretty damn boring. I wanna be a sexy lady, yano?

Have you tried any of these products? Or have this kit?

Let me know below!

 

- Charli, xo

New Beginnings

'It's a new year, it's time to start again. Stop thinking about what you're going to do and start doing it. It's time to live your life and be who you are. Forget about whatever happened in 2013 and just move on. Take risks and be yourself, you only have one life and it's time to make the most of it. Make a new year's resolution and this time achieve it, no matter what the cost is.'

Yes, this is one of those cliche 'fresh start' posts - but it's January 1st, what else did you expect guys?! I found this little quote on Tumblr and I thought it pretty much summed everything up. 2013 was a pretty rubbish year for me, due to many different reasons but I've spent too much of my life worrying about things that have happened, things I can't change and things that, in all fairness, do not matter in the slightest. I'm marking 2013 as a year full of lessons and using it as my reason to buck my ideas up and get on with living my life. The more I think about it, the more determined I am to turn things around. I have so many amazing plans for 2014 already and we're only on January 1st, I get excited just thinking about them. I feel like I've just been exisiting, I want to live, I want to get to 80 and think, woah, what a life I've had. I want to go places I've never been, I want to see things I've never seen, I want to meet new people, I'm so ready to start my life.

Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book, as they say, every end marks a new beginning and 2014 is where I begin again.

Resolutions

- Pass my driving test

- Get a car

- Start my dream career

- Keep a diary

- Eat more

- Blog more

- Learn to take risks

- Love myself

- Live

Watch this space guys; do you have any New Year Resolutions?

- Charli, xo