Sorry Sorry and another Sorry

I have been up to my neck with work and as a result I haven't been on the ball with blogging. I am so annoyed I haven't had the chance to blog more recently but I will try and stay a bit more on top of things. My first term has just about come to a close, I'm in my last few days before christmas, and I can say it has honestly been the best 12 weeks in a long time! Sure, I am tired beyond repair and I don't think I'm going to cope with the amount of revision I have to do before january exams but, at least I can say it's worth it. I think I am going to set up an instagram for this blog too, we will see! Once again, sorry!x

My cheeky shopping trip today, Zara & New Look haul!

I only went into town to find a belt, but may have found a few other little gems as I strolled around. On the plus side, I did actually get my belt. Just a quick note of the shops that I went into, I went into New Look, Warehouse, Miss Selfridge, Next, Marks and Spencer, Urban Outfitters, River Island, Jack Wills, Topshop, Fat Face and Zara. I have to admit, I really wasn't impressed with Miss Selfridge at all nor with Jack Wills. I ended up buying a few things from New Look and Zara. I am also finding Topshop extremely overpriced at the moment, £12 for a basic black t-shirt? It's crazy!

I must also add, from what I brought at New Look, I used my student discount, but here is the prices below!

1. Simple Buckle Belt - New Look (£2.99 plus £0.30 discount =£2.69)
2. Black Ottoman Stitch Jumper - New Look (£19.99 plus £2.00 discount = £17.99)
3. Long Sleeve Stripe T-shirt - Zara (£9.99)
4. Black Print T-shirt - Zara (£15.99)
5. Shawl Black Cross - Zara (£19.99)

So as you can tell, Im wrapping up for winter and at the moment, my wardrobe is going to be looking very black, but you can't go wrong in black, can you? Autumn is my favourite time of year, and I can't wait to see the styles going around. Zara is one of my favourite shops around, and if you shop right, can be cheaper than your Topshop or River Island at times. The shawl is extremely soft and extremely big, great to snuggle up to when I fall asleep in lectures. I was torn between this one and a red/yellow and black shawl. Who knows, I may end up treating myself to the other one later in the year! I lost my classic black jumper, one item I feel everyone should own, earlier on in the year, previously from Urban Outfitters. For some reason I forgot to pack any belts to bring to uni, so i thought that it was a good investment and the other two tops I couldn't resist!



Some other things to add to the list are; a nice winter coat, some long, knee high black boots, a checkered shirt and maybe some jewellery? Hoping Santa will be good to me this year! Where are you hauling your autumn/winter collection from?

Laura x

An Apology, A Reason and A Resolution!

I have been gone for almost a month off of blogging, which is really not okay! So a massive sorry for my lack of posting but a very good reason why!

In the middle of September I went on holiday to the lovely city of Pisa with my family. However, two days after I came back, I was set to start university… again. I went to University last year however due to many different reasons, I decided that the place I was at wasn't for me! However I was still keen to go to university so I have re-started my studies down in the south and hence why I have had a very hectic month. Getting all of my things together, settling in, freshers round two, eventually unpacking and starting a whole different course, along with 3-4 assignments a week, I hope you can understand why I have only just gotten around to blogging again!

On the plus side, I have a really lovely flat, there's 3 building with over 1200 students in total in my complex, so I've gotten the chance to meet an amazing array of people. Despite the fact we have just had our 14th fire alarm in just under a month, I can promise it isn't my cooking that setting it off. I am loving my course, no matter how intense and crazy hard it is, and I have met some really great people too. I have also taken up First Aid, Trampolining and my Subject society plus going out 2-3 times a week to some great clubs.

Anyway, hopefully now I've got in the swing of things, I will try to be better at multi-tasking! I will try and put a post up by this evening, and once again, sorry for being MIA.

Laura x

Glossybox September 2014

I am loving the new boxes recently! I really do love them. The new shape is a lot more concise and the matte finish is much better than the glossy finish, the irony. Should they be called Matteboxes instead?

The cute design on the front of the box representing the london skyline in association with London Fashion Week was a really lovely idea, and moreover, it was associated with Karen Millen. I was pretty happy with my box this month, although I'd have preferred the oil to the masque.

1. Skin Pep - Enzyme and Acid Peel & Peeling Gel
Theses little sachets are supposed to be 'highly effective' in making your skin look tight and bright. This is something I am excited to try as my skin is looking a tad dull at the moment, especially going into winter.

2. Nail Inc - Matte Top Coat
I can never have enough nail varnish. It is surprisingly expensive! Particularly clear varnish, really was due a top up. So I'm more than happy to have received a Nail Inc product.

3. Model Co - MORE BROWS FIBRE GEL
It matches my eyebrow colour which is a great start. It would have been pretty useless otherwise. I guess the obsession with big brows hasn't quite ended yet. I'm not complaining, it seems decent but I already have a pretty good pencil brush.

4. L'Oreal Professionel - Mythic Mask
This seems like a pretty nice product, but like I said before I'd rather have had the oil. I didn't think there were any instructions on how to use or for how long but it does say on the little card paper & it looks very creamy and it's a well trusted brand.

5. Vichy - Normaderm Night Detox & Hydrating Care
This little tubes are supposed to be able to fight adult blemishes. As I am 19 years old, I can't think of anything more that I need right now for my skin. I really want to see if this works due to the fact I have try so many similar products, but we will see!

Overall I think the box was a winner. There was a lot for the skin which makes sense now were going into gloomy winter days. Im going to have to test extensively due to the fact that most of these are sample size and the
bigger versions all cost a lot more. Happy Autumn!

Laura x

What would I do without my Tangle Teezer?

I thought this was a very good question to answer. I never really buy into this gimmicks when people say 'oh but its miraculous' because most of the time its just to bump sales or just an exaggeration. Then a few friends told me I had to get one because now they don't need any other hairbrush and it take the knots out of your hair with no fuss. So from reading a review to having people tell me to my face how good it is, made me think I should try it. Then a few more people told me about it and I thought, ok, Ill give it a go.

The people that have Tangle Teezer's will know the answer to the question already. Yes, it does actually work. In the description of the product, this is what it says;

'Tangle Teezer The Original professional detangling hairbrush is loved by hairdressers and used in professional hair salons. It's a super smooth operator that works the minute hair is lathered and rinsed. Glides through wet, vulnerable and colour treated hair with no pulling, tugging or yanking. Hair peace at last!'

I can honestly say, the no pulling, tugging or yanking is definitely true. I have all my knots and tangles out in about 30 seconds. I have nothing but praise for this cheeky little thing. The teeth are patented, which is a good idea considering how well it works. My mum even asked where I got it, what it is and if I could buy her one, and of course I did. I have the purple and pink and she has the blue and pink one. 

In one of my first posts, I posted 10 things I want to try this year, and I got round to this one on my list. It is without a doubt one of the best detangling hair products out there. You don't need all these fancy sprays or chemicals, this is it. If you want to treat yourself to one, the link is here. It comes in an array of bright colours and even some fun prints, so take a look.

Laura x

BERLIN!

So I went to Berlin, Germany with a few friends in mid August and had an incredible time. We stayed in an apartment run by Berlin Base, very modern and very chic. We had our own little kitchen, two bathrooms, a living room and two bedrooms along with a balcony and access to an upstairs terrace. It was blissful. It was incredible how much we managed to squeeze into just 5 days, and we were lucky enough to be near a good transport link. We took the train or 'Uber' everyday to get where we wanted, and we took ourselves to several hotspots.

Firstly to mention a certain Sir David Attenborough was on our flight, not that we noticed until we got to the other side and unfortunately we weren't able to get any cheeky selfies because we were too shy! Once we arrived at our apartments, myself and a friend went to get some ice cream from a local shop and then we also went to a local supermarket, got some food, and by the end of the evening we were eating watermelon on the terrace watching the sunset.

The following day, we went to the TV Tower and also a cute market where some bandanas were brought, had some nice food and also went to see the Berlin Dome. The views from the TV Tower were panoramic and you were able to see all over Berlin, beautiful. After lots of selfies and drawing in on the grass, we headed back for the day.

Our third day was very chilled, mainly for the hectic night ahead. We saw the Sony Center which to be honest, was a slight let down, mainly filled with restaurant. But the museum we visited was very interesting and saw some modern and old take of art. Then came the hours of preparation for the night ahead. None of us wanted to get too smashed in a foreign country, but we still had a great night. We went to a place called SODA club, which was obviously a hotspot for the locals. It actually played decent music and we had a good night. 

The following day meant we didn't get out of the apartments till 3. However, we did visit the sunday market which made us feel like we visited a real hearty part of Berlin. It was filled out with locals playing music, drinking, stalls and not to forget us getting our hair braids. It was a great atmosphere. Later that day, we also visited The Reichstag, the government building. Again the views were insane but the dome at the top was even more incredible. From inside the dome, you could look down and see the government seats. On the way back to the 'Uber' we saw The Brandenburg Gate, which was without a doubt on of my favourite things I saw. I can't quite explain why, but the way it held itself in the middle of the square and the area around it, including Michael Jacksons famous incident of holding the baby out of the hotel room, meant that it was quite a sight, and a lot bigger than I thought.

On the last day, we visited a famous church that was bombed down in one of the World Wars. A more modern church was opposite it, which had quite an original take. Not to mention another favourite place of mine, The Holocaust War Memorial. It was an absolute site to behold, just down the road from the Brandenburg Gate, which we visited again. It was breathtaking how it was laid out, an absolute maze.

Finally, we saw a part of the Berlin Wall, which shocked me reading how recent this was. Only in the 1980's. If you find the trail of the wall, it can actually be traced around the city, so it's quite fun if you have time to follow it whilst sight seeing. Before we knew it, we were on the plane home to a cold and wet England.

Laura x

THE EMMY'S!

Too many events at once!

I love the Emmy's for two reasons; firstly for the amount of effort everyone puts into their outfits, and also because Jim Parsons has won for the fourth time in a row this year for his role in The Big Bang Theory.

So down to whats what, and who wore what, and who's who?

BEST 3
-Taylor Schilling
-Claire Danes
-Sarah Hyland

WORST 3
-Katherine Heigl
-Mindy Kaling
-Lena Durham
 



Taylor Schilling really dazzled at the Emmy's and got it spot on. A really amazing dress. The thing I noticed most about Claire Danes is her hair. It looks effortlessly chic. Hyland's two piece works extremely well together and her hair is done just right for the outfit.

The first thing that came to my mind seeing Heigl was the dress Sandra Bullock wore in The Proposal. I really thing this is more flab that fab. All over Mindy's outfit looks frumpy and Lena looks like a flamingo gone wrong.

Very happy Modern Family won Comedy Series and Jim Parsons won Comedy Actor.

Laura x

VMAS - The Best and The Worst

So another awards show means I can love and hate more wardrobe choices. Having flicked through some of the outfits earlier, I was beyond unimpressed overall. In no order...
The 6 worst: 
KATY PERRY, ARIANA GRANDE, MARY LAMBERT, SYD WILDER, AMBER ROSE, TAYLOR SWIFT




The 4 Best:
LUCY HALE, INGRID NELSON, BEHATI PRINSLOO, NINA DOBREV, JENNIFER LOPEZ, VICTORIA JUSTICE

SUMMARY:

Was Katy Perry channeling an old Britney? I'm not a fan of double denim on a good day but a full length dress? please no! As expected, half hair up and half down with Ariana, but I feel she's overly compensating for her baby face, stripper boots? Taylor was the least worst, but I had to put her on the list as it looked like she had some seriously tight below issues. Must have been uncomfortable but she does have good legs. Lambert looked like she was wearing her grandmas curtains and Amber Rose was barely wearing enough clothes to call it a dress. Finally Syd is on the list due to the fact at first glance, it looked like a sparkly bin bag wrapped around her.

On a better note, Lucy Hale was my favourite and really caught the vibe of the event with matching fuchsia shoes too. My second favourite was Ingrid Nelson, again really loved this outfit for the event. I wasn't overly wowed by J-Lo's dress, but somehow she pulled it off. Anyone else couldn't dare do the same. Victoria Justice nailed the fun vibe although didn't love the shoes. And Nina just all round got in on the nail. Lastly, bonus points to Behati and Adam as it was their first red carpet appearance since their marriage, awww! Plus she rocked all black and the shoes are amazing. 

Laura x

Top 5 Songs for this Week

I was looking through my playlist and say several songs that I thought were on point this week, and thought I'd share my top 5. Some are new songs, some are old, but they're still pretty damn great.

5. BANG BANG - JESSIE J, ARIANA GRANDE & NICKI MINAJ

4. REAL - YEARS & YEARS

3. BUDAPEST - GEORGE EZRA

2. JAKE BUGG - LIGHTNING BOLT 

1. LOVE RUNS OUT - ONE REPUBLIC

Bang Bang was a song that has grown on me, and It's one that has really stuck in my head. Real I have had on my iTunes for a while, and it's one of my most played songs, It just has that vibe for me. Any music from George Ezra is great but this song is so simple and lovely, how can you not favour it? I saw Jake Bugg at Reading Festival on the weekend and wow is he amazing! definitely converted. Finally, One Republic hit out with a real tune that is on repeat 24/7. Tune.

Laura x

Glossybox August

So I should start by saying I didn't expect to get a glossy box this month. I genuinely thought I had cancelled my subscription. It turns out I'm tied on until September! I guess it's not the worse thing in the world, but when you have already decided in the back of your head that you have lost all interest in this box by its constant let downs, you don't get as excited when it arrives.

……and I was right. There wasn't anything in this box that bowled me over, nothing that made me go 'wow' or 'I will definitely buy this at the shops when it runs out'. I always feel the box is full of little things that really don't suit me, despite the questionnaire that tries to match you to the correct products. Also, when I look at other reviews, I seem to get the worst set of things. The best thing about this box is the box itself. It's no longer shinny, more of a matte feel. It looked more clean cut.

1) YVES ROCHER - PINK NAIL VARNISH
Without a doubt the most pointless of all the products. Genuinely, I thought it was a joke. It isn't a normal sized nail varnish, its 3ml. So the brush is nearly impossible to pick up. Also, it isn't a very flattering pink, extremely dull!

2)FIG & ROUGE - MINI HAND CREAM
If it weren't for this, I probably would have sent the box back. It was a cute little tube of hand cream that smelt like mangos. There wasn't anything particularly great, it was just the best of a bad bunch.

3)KRYOLAN FOR GLOSSYBOX - HIGHLIGHTER CASHMERE
This was a very 'thin' product, in that you would have to layer it on to see any effect. Also, it isn't very subtle due to the shimmery look about it. It felt rather greasy and to be perfectly honest, quite poorly made. It did have a cute little box with the glossy box logo on it though.

4)PHILIP KINGSLEY -ELASTICIZER
I have yet to actually try this, however I wasn't overwhelmed by it on first impressions. It had no smell whatsoever and my first thought was, if you had long hair, and you were to cover all of your head with this, you would use more than half a tube per go, so it's not very cost effective for what it is.

5) L ALIQUE - L'AMOUR
I literally have no idea why these are put in the box. I can't stand them. I could dab a little of the perfume on my wrist and then that's about it. I completely understand that it is supposed to show you new perfumes you may have not considered before but I don't feel you get a real sense of the perfume from this tiny bottle. I would prefer another actual product such as mascara or nail varnish. On the other hand, I can really complain, as one of these is put in nearly every box.

6) ESSENCE - LONGLASTING LIPSTICK
I was excited for this product, full size. Then I saw the colour I had been given. It was as dull as the nail varnish! The only word I can describe it as is dull! It's almost the exact same colour as my lips. So I feel like I may as well just use lip balm.


For me, this box was extremely underwhelming. I am beyond disappointed. Thankfully I'm only tied on for one more box. Do you agree of disagree with my comments? Or did you get different products?

Laura x

6 Lifestyle Changes Until September!

I started to realise a few things about myself that I thought I could improve upon. What changes could I make to make myself feel healthier and happier? So, here I am, with 6 things I plan on doing as a sort of trial until the beginning of september to see I feel any different!

1. SAY NO TO STRAIGHTENERS!
I have never dyed my hair any outrageous colours or made it overly damaged, but I never realised how much I used straighteners, even to curl my hair. That level of heat that I used nearly everyday can't be good at all. I don't get my hair trimmed regularly but my hair isn't in too bad a state. On top of not using straighteners, I'm trying not to use hairbands that strain my hair, so hence using scrunchies. Plus, not brushing my hair when it's wet which is a thing that I do nearly all the time. I'm hoping that not using my hair straighteners for the next few weeks will allow me to see benefits!

2. WATER, WATER, WATER
I have tried this before, and it worked miracles. I am unfortunately proned to bad skin, but I went through a phase of drinking 1.5-2 litres of water a day to flush out my system and it truly worked. But it was quite hard to keep up and keep track of the water I was drinking. I remember how much better my skin was and how much it had improved, so lets start round 2. Side note, no fizzy drinks, none.

3. LIMIT THE JUNK
I will raise my hand and say I love chocolate and there is no doubt I eat way too much of it. I'm not planning on cutting it out completely, (mainly because that would be impossible for me), but making sure I'm not just eating it 'because it's there'.

4. SQUAT & LUNGE
This is more of a personal one, a photo on instagram where I was tagged made me realise how large my thighs are! This isn't really anything new to me, I've always felt my thighs have been out of proportion. So the first step is 50 squats and 50 lunges per day. Maybe Ill soon start to notice a more toned lower half soon?

5. NAIL BITING
I don't really think this is a 'lifestyle' change but I have been driven to paint my nails to cover how horribly bitten they are. They aren't as bad as when I was about 14, I have gradually become better however I really don't want to see horrible nails anymore, I'm done! I remember a gross little fact someone told be about the amount of bacteria under the nails, apparently there's a lot. Ew.

6. POSITIVITY
I wouldn't say I'm a negative person, or a pessimist, but I definitely sometimes find it hard to see the good in things. So, this isn't just a few week thing, I'm going to try and keep this up for a while, maybe see if anyone can notice a change. Not get involved in drama and stay mentally healthy.


Do you have any changes you'd like to make as the summer comes to an end?

Laura x

Where do I want to go?

Having just gotten back from Berlin, I started to ask myself; where next? I am an absolutely keen traveller, its important to keep seeing as much of the world and experience as many cultures as possible.

I have no problem in admitting that I have been very fortunate to have been able to go where I have but I also believe that sometimes you have to put yourself out there to go and get what you want. After I finish my degree, I really want to travel and perhaps even live abroad for a while. A few places I have visited include: New York, Florida, Paris, Cairo, Rome, Venice, Bishkek, Shymkent, Tashkent, Barcelona, Salamanca, Murcia, Dubai, Geneva, Santander, Naples and most recently Berlin. So it's safe to say I'm no stranger to flying. If I could visit 5 places, where would I go?

1) Prague - Czech Republic

I'll be perfectly honest and say I'm not 100% sure why. I know a few people who have been here and say its a place every person should have a chance to see. It's supposedly very pretty and a place that has always been on my mind.





2) Cancun - Mexico

Supposedly a Spring Break hotspot for Americans, this is a place I really have to see for myself. White sand and killer sun, that's my idea of a nice break away. Apparently theres an underwater museum?

3) Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

No, the world cup did not inspire me to go here, and nor will the next Olympic Games, but the flamboyant colours and the carnival life seems like something to celebrate. One of the things that is always brought up is the divide between the wealthy and the poor. Apparently slums lie next to skyscraper city blocks, and this is something I really want to get a sense for myself.




4) Sydney/Gold Coast - Australia

Cheekily combining this into one, this is a place where I am determined to go to, perhaps even live? I guess we will see. The great barrier reef would be a sight in itself, let alone the beaches and the glorious weather. A hot christmas? Yes Please.






5) St Tropez/Cannes - France

 Another cheeky combo, his is definitely and up and coming place. I can't really justify why I want to go here other than it is supposedly 'a great place to be'. I guess because I live in London, and France is very close, why wouldn't I want to hop over here? Would I like to time it with Cannes Film Festival? Of Course. 

Do you have five places you HAVE to visit? Better start saving.

Laura x
(all photos taken from Google)

Glossybox July 2014

So after stating that I would not resubscribe with glossy box, i saw that this month was a special edition with 4 full sized products with the USA theme so I did a one off buy. The great thing was that I loved this box! The dilemma I face is do I re-subscribe?



























The usual pale pink box was transformed in to a stars and striped theme, very cute. I have always felt I got the worst sample products in my box, but this month, I think I got the best!
My box included:


1) Carmex lip balm - £2.69
2) Color Club - Glossy Seal nail Polish - $8 for 15ml
3) tarte - lights, camera, lashes 4in1 mascara - £19.50 for 7ml
4) Bellapierre Cosmetics Ltd - Mineral Lipstick - £20.00
5) ABSOLUTE New York - Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer - $4.99

So this was a pretty valuable box, definitely worth its money. The funny thing is, my lipstick came in a Ruby colour and just the other day I was looking for a popping colour lipstick, now I have this beauty! The nail varnish isn't my first choice of colour however I don't own one like it and I am looking forward to trying it. I have always wanted to try carmex but to be completely honest, never got round to buying it, typical me. So this was a real treat, I remember the craze of carmex and it seems to have come back around. I seem to get a mascara in nearly every box, but I can't complain, this was the cutest mascara I have ever seen, it had a sort of leathery snake skin look to it, incredible. Finally, the eye primer is a blessing as I always resort to foundation, which can sometimes crease in the folds of my eyes.

My favourite product has to be the mascara, mainly for its casing. All in all, I am overly happy with my box. Did you get the same products as me?

Laura x

Glamour Magazine + eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

I brought the July 2014 edition of Glamour Magazine, and whilst the magazine alone was worth buying, the little treat I received was a lovely treat, the eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner. I think I can speak for everyone when I say, you can never have too many eyeliners.

I am not a fan of pencil eyeliners, I always have to push to hard to get the definition I want, and it can't start to hurt my eyelids. Hence why in my make up trial years, I switched from pencil to liquid. At the moment I am using Collection 2000 eyeliner. However this little beauty from eyeko is so sleek, in silver, and gives such a great definition. The end is rather fine allowing you to have control and to create all types of looks, whether its all out wow factor or a subtle going to lunch with the grandparents look.
I was extremely impressed with this product and its a very good liquid eyeliner, and very quickly it has become my new favourite eye make up piece. It is worth £12 so to some extent, I guess you would expect it to be rather good. It was named TeenVogue's Beauty Award Winner, it lasts a long time and it does smudge. One of the reasons this has come in the Glamour magazine, is Alexa Chung is the feature of this edition, and of course she fully deserves it, but she has teamed up with eyeko, advising the brand on its direction.

At the moment, if you subscribe to ELLE UK, you get a free eyeko kit worth £52, including the eyeliner.

If you get a chance to get the magazine, either to read Alexa's feature, or even purely for the eyeliner, please do! (The magazine is definitely worth a flick through this month)

Laura x

DINNER PARTY TIME!

So a friend of mine decided to host a dinner party, we are all back from nearly a year apart, from all over the place whether its university or art college, and it was really sweet to see the girls. The table looked beautiful and the flowers were stunning, we even had little name plates and matching napkins! We each prepared a meal, I was on dessert, along with cocktails, alcohol and non, and of course the evening ended with a game of 'Cards Against Humanity'.

 

Its called cards against humanity for a reason… it was a new game for me too, but take my advice and don't play it with your parents. The food was lovely, the cocktails were some of the best I've had and it was one of the most enjoyable evenings I've had in a while. FACT: you don't need to go out and get lashed for a good night! I think we are going to try and make this a regularly thing, maybe once a month. 

Laura x

GlossyBox June!

I was relatively impressed overall with this box, and this was my last of my 6 month subscription however I have decided to renew it for one month only, as its a special edition USA box next week.

My 5 treats in this box were:
1) 3-in-1 Base/Topcoat & Nail strengthener from Nail Girls
2) Rise 'N Shine Souffle from got2b
3) Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush from TeeezTrendsCosmetics
4) Universal Blush from So Susan
5) Antiperspirant spray from RITUALS

 I must admit, I'm not a big hair care product user, so the Souffle by got2b wasn't that useful for me however it really did smell lovely and will try it at some point. As for the nailgirls clear nail polish, this was a blessing in my box as I am always too lazy to buy clear nail polish as its extremely over priced in shops. I wasn't too sure about the antiperspirant at first but now its my go-to product. It smells divine! I cannot get enough of how amazing this is and it doesn't leave any patches or stain clothing and it also stays for a long time, throughout the day. I had just brought a blush, and this blush seemed to have a slight glitter tinge, which I was happy about. I hate make up that has a shimmer look, it looks very fake. Finally, the brush, again, when in stores, they are majorly overpriced hence why I was pleased to see this when I opened my box, you can never have too many brushes! Also the brush was very pretty.

Normally I am disappointed with my box, so this was definitely an improvement for me. I said as soon as my subscription ends, i was not going to renew, hence why I have gone for a one off box for the USA july edition. I always seem to get the lesser of the products offered by glossy box and soon to hope a subscription with another beauty box. Any recommendations as to which one?

Laura x

MIA for the whole of June but back for July!

So to summarise, I havent blogged at all in June, which is beyond pathetic. It was a busy month with exams and results as well as deciding what to do academically next year. However, I am now free for the rest of summer and ready to blog blog blog. Also to say, although the majority of my posts have been beauty/fashion, I am going to expand my blog to general posting, e.g day to day to make it more well rounded.

Happy blogging,

Laura x

e.l.f Cosmetics Review

So I wanted to try a few new things from a company called Elf Cosmetics. I wasn't really 100% sure what I should try so I went for a variety of products.

 Firstly the Studio Stipple brush. I don't have many brushes so I thought I would try this out. It was £3.95, pretty good for a brush, especially as the brush to me seemed like high quality and I loved the design of it! You have a plastic cover to keep your brush in so the bristles don't get ruined. To go with the brush, I brought some powder foundation. I am normally not a big fan of powder as I have quite dry skin so I can sometimes end up getting flakey. It was £5.95 and I personally think that it is worth it. The shade I chose online seemed very close to what I got.

Probably my favourite product in my batch is without doubt the Matte Lip Colour which I chose in Coral. I think the reason this is so great is that it lasts a long time and doesn't wear away through the day. also it a little brighter than my natural lip colour so it give a great natural look. I am definitely going to be investing in more colours. It was a great price of £3.95.

The all over cover stick which I brought in Apricot Beige, was pretty good. I can see this being great on a night out to have in your purse for a quick fix. I think the idea of this is for it to be a quick fix as it was only £1.95. This was a pretty average product that I am happy I have purchased.

The last two I brought were blusher and bronzer. I got the sun kissed bronzer and the Shy blusher. I prefer more of a natural look hence why I didn't go for any boisterous shades. Both of these work fabulously, although the bronzer has a slight shimmer in it which I wasn't a fan of and both the brushes aren't that great but still useable. Both cost £2.50.

Overall, with free postage, I paid £20.80. For what I received I would say that this is fantastic value for money and I may have found a new favourite brand! If you get a chance, please take a look at their products. I found the website very easy to use. The last thing I must add, I absolutely love the packaging. It got a simple finish on everything and the pots and pallets are all of high quality make. Hopefully I'll be able to review some more things in the future! 

Laura x

GlossyBox May 2014

So I came home today to open my glossy box, and I was really excited as everyone is saying it is the best yet! One of the things Ive noticed people saying in reviews is that even before they opened their box, it felt heavier than usual. I didn't find this, mainly because when I opened it, I felt like I had nothing similar to any of the others!

One of the things I really wanted was the Spray and Go by Vaseline. I have seen this in every review so I guess I assumed it was one of the items in every box. I also really would have loved the primer as I am running low! However, when I came to opening my box, heres what I found.

Firstly, I found Scandal Eyes Mascara by Rimmel London in my box. I wasn't too fussed about this as I already have about 4 mascaras already. I don't have a lot of Rimmel products mainly because I find they don't last long, either they run out quickly or break. So I am interested to try this but as I said before, I'm not overly interested in this. (£6.99)

Next came the Ghost Eclipse Tester. I don't really value these as they are very useless to me. I never find enough in the tester to actually wear it out. There really isn't much to say about this as I wouldn't really mind if this didn't arrive in my box.

This is probably the least impressive thing in my box, the Caramel Sheer Conditioning lipstick by B. I tried it on and it made my lips feel horrible. It didn't come out as a caramel colour, it just looked slightly shimmery. If I wanted a shimmery look, I would wear lipgloss. It genuinely looked as if I had no colour change on my lips but some sticky chapstick. (£6.99)

This is almost as unimpressive, Gosh Eyeliner however it comes in a violet shade? I only ever wear black coloured eyeliner as Im so pale, any odd colour looks strange on me. I also only use liquid eyeliner not pencil. (£4.99)

2true Pro 3D candy Marine Nail Art was in my box. I love the idea of this however I don't really like this colour. I would have preferred either a pastel colour or a pink type. I am looking forward to using this and if it goes well, I may look at the other colours available. The only thing I would say is that I seem to always receive nail varnish in every box, I am a little tired of it now. (£3.00)

One thing I am glad to have in my box is a doughnut ring. I have always wanted to try this and now I have! It was quite easy to use. I have quite fine hair but it still worked well. Maybe for a smart day, this would be great. Glossybox have clearly taken into account I have blonde hair by sending me a blonde shade doughnut ring. So maybe they do think about what goes into each box? (£3.99)

Lastly, a tester of the Garnier Body Oil Lotion. This is again something that I am not too fussed over, but I will try it as I do have dry skin so maybe this is a little perk.

Overall, I am dissapointed. I had such high hopes, especially as it was a collaboration box. Personally, I alway feel I get the worst of the products available, just my luck. Hopefully you are all more satisfied with your boxes, let me know if you disagree with anything Ive said! The total value of the box excluding testers is £25.96, and I can't say it's worth it, sorry Glossybox.

Laura x